It’s exactly 50 years ago today that a truly memorable event in Tigerland history took place. 

On April 15, 1967, a talented teenager from Tasmania, by the name of Royce Hart, made his senior league debut with Richmond in the opening round of that season against Essendon at the MCG.

Just over six months earlier, Hart had kicked the winning goal for Richmond’s reserves in the grand final against Collingwood.

After a big pre-season, Hart was selected to line up at full-forward in the ’67 season-opener clash with the Bombers.

All Tiger eyes were on the high-flying, 19-year-old – and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

Hart had 15 disposals, took 10 marks, and had 10 shots for goal, although he managed to steer just three between the big sticks.

Interestingly, after scoring 3.7 in his debut performance, Hart was taken aside by senior coach Tommy Hafey and leading Club official Graeme Richmond and advised to scrap kicking torpedo punts for set shots at goal.

He subsequently taught himself to kick a drop punt, and became one of the most deadly accurate kicks for goal in the game.

Before a crowd of 56,387, Richmond scored a decisive 35-point, Round 1 victory over an Essendon side that was a powerhouse of the competition back then, having won the premiership in 1965 and finished third in 1966.

The Bombers’ team that day contained big-name players such as John Birt, Jack Clarke, Barry Davis, Alec Epis, Ted Fordham, Ken Fraser, Don McKenzie, Hugh Mitchell, Alan Noonan, Charlie Payne and Geoff Pryor.

The Tigers had 15 members of their opening round line-up who subsequently went on to play in the Club’s drought-breaking premiership that year – Bill Barrot, Kevin Bartlett, Graham Burgin, Dick Clay, Roger Dean, Michael Green, John Northey, Michael Patterson, John Perry, Mike Perry, Alan ‘Bull’ Richardson, John Ronaldson, Geoff Strang, Fred Swift and young Hart.

Star centreman Barrot lined up on a half-forward flank against the Dons, following an interrupted pre-season, and kicked five goals in a dynamic display.

Young ruckman John Ronaldson (in a sign of things to come later that year) kicked two goals, as did Dick Clay, who had made the move from the forward line in 1966 to the wing at the start of the ’67 season.

Tom Lahiff, in his match review for ‘Footy Week’, rated veteran Tiger ruckman Neville Crowe as best afield.

“Neville Crowe, relieved of the burden of captaincy, revelled in the conditions, and continually put his side into attack, palming the ball, often with two hands, to his rovers Dimattina and Bartlett,” Lahiff wrote.

And, here’s Lahiff’s concise appraisal of Royce Hart’s fine first-up performance . . .

“Hart showed that he could be the answer to the Tigers’ prayers for a reliable goal-getter. With greater accuracy, he could have kicked eight goals.”

In a special column for ‘The Herald’ newspaper on the Monday after the game, Hart provided an insight into his senior debut with Richmond.

“ALL the old heads of Richmond kept warning me to watch for the rough stuff. ‘This mob will get into you right from the first whistle and you’re going to get the full treatment, son. So be ready for it’, they said.

But my first League game, my life’s ambition, came as a pleasant surprise.

I didn’t get hammered as much as I expected, although there was one clash in the last quarter.

I finished up with a sore head. Did I run into something? I’ll say I did . . . definitely.

I wasn’t happy with my goalkicking. I should have kicked seven or eight on my practice form.

I don’t know what went wrong. I lost concentration a few times, probably because we were so far in front.

I can’t work it out. I missed some easy shots. It was tricky shooting for goal where the old concrete stand was.

My marking was not too hot, either.

Some of the marks I took were easy, but I missed the difficult ones, after getting my hands on the ball.

I was confident Richmond would beat Essendon, and I didn’t let myself think I would be a failure.

I was a bit toey before the game. I watched some of the Reserves match, and then we had a talk about the Essendon team.

Len Smith told me how to play Essendon full-back Greg Brown . . . Neville Crowe gave me a few words of advice and calmed me down.

I settled down when we were handballing to each other and having short kicks in the dressing room.

But I was still feeling jittery, wondering how I would go.

I received 30 good-luck telegrams from friends back in Tasmania, but I didn’t read them until after the game.

When I ran on the ground and the Tigers were greeted by the explosive roar of the crowd, I felt like a million dollars.

That was when I began to notice things.

Last year I watched the seniors playing and I thought I would never be with them.

But there I was and I wanted the ball to come to me quickly.

Once the game started, I forgot the crowd, and it was just another match.

I had my first kick after five minutes for a point, and 10 minutes later scored my first goal.

I had proved I could get a kick in League football. That was the main thing.

I had confidence in my own ability for two reasons, experience with Richmond Under 19s and Reserves and body-building exercises.

Playing with the Under 19s and Reserves gave me good experience and the body-building increased my weight boy about one and a half stone.

I can hardly wait until next Saturday, when I won’t be suffering so much from stage fright.”

Richmond v Essendon Round 1, 1967 match details 

Richmond      3.7       4.11     9.16     15.20 (110)    
Essendon      0.3       4.5       6.6       11.9 (75)

Goals – Richmond: Barrot 5, Hart 3, Clay 2, Ronaldson 2, Bartlett, Crowe, Northey. 
Leading possession-winners – Richmond: Barrot 25, Bartlett 23, Clay 21, A. Richardson 21, Crowe 18.
Goals – Essendon: Birt 2, Ellis 2, Noonan 2, Clarke, Egan, McKenzie, Shaw, Thompson.
Leading possession-winners – Essendon: Egan 20, Birt 19, Pryor 19, Fraser 18, Davis 17.