It’s 50 years ago this Saturday (September 9, 1967) that Richmond made a spectacular re-entry to league football finals action after a lengthy September drought. Tony Greenberg takes up the story . . .
The fierce Richmond-Carlton rivalry, born in the early 1920s, was rekindled in 1967, after lying dormant for several decades.
Richmond, which entered the then VFL competition in 1908, lost its first 24 games against the Blues (1908-17), much to the frustration of the Yellow and Black faithful of the time.
The Tigers gained sweet revenge in 1921, when they defeated Carlton by four points in the Grand Final – 5.6 (36) to 4.8 (32) – to claim their second premiership in-a-row (and second overall in league football).
Then, 11 years later, Richmond repeated the dose, edging the Blues out in another epic Grand Final encounter – 13.14 (92) to 12.11 (83) – to take out the 1932 premiership.
Three seasons on, the Tigers recorded a 21-point victory over Carlton in the 1935 first semi-final.
It was to be the last time the two teams faced off in a final for 42 years, with Richmond, and to a lesser extent Carlton, heading into the football wilderness.
In 1967, however, the Tigers and Blues had both returned as genuine forces in the competition.
Richmond, under the coaching guidance of its former player Tommy Hafey, had finished the ‘67 home-and-away season on top of the ladder, two points ahead of a revitalised Carlton, led by captain-coach Ron Barassi.
So, it was to be the Tigers v Blues in the second semi-final of ’67, with the prize being automatic entry into the Grand Final for the winner.
This was Richmond’s first finals appearance since its 1947 first semi-final loss to Fitzroy.
None of the 20 Tiger players who ran out on to the MCG for the big clash with the Blues had any league football finals experience, yet it mattered not a jot . . .
With first-year, teenage, key-forward sensation Royce Hart leading the way up forward, producing a brilliant six-goal performance (including two in the opening two minutes of the match) Richmond powered away from the Blues to record a convincing 40-point win.
But there was a sour note to the Tiger triumph with champion Richmond ruckman, former captain, and triple Club Best and Fairest winner, Neville Crowe, reported on a charge of striking his Carlton counterpart John Nicholls.
Crowe was subsequently suspended for four matches, which meant he missed the Club’s drought-breaking premiership win against Geelong a fortnight later. The second-semi success against Carlton was to be the last game of league football for a shattered Crowe.
Clearly, had video evidence been allowed back in those days, the charge against ‘Crowey’ would have been dismissed in about 30 seconds – and ‘Big Nick’ would have been nominated for an Academy Award.
Anyway, 50 years on, here’s how the ’67 second semi was dissected throughout the football media of the day.
First-up, is a match review written by ‘Footy Week’ editor Harry Beitzel, under the heading: “CHAMPAGNE FOOTBALL BY TIGERS”
“Richmond completely outclassed Carlton and provided champagne football for a record second semi-final crowd of 99,051 fans.
All of Richmond’s star-studded line-up played up to their reputations in their 40-point victory.
Carlton had no answer to the brilliance of the Richmond team.
As fast as Carlton captain-coach Ron Barassi patched up a weakness in his side several Richmond players would reveal another few.
Through the game the Blues had four full-backs, four centremen, four centre half-forwards and four full-forwards. That’s TROUBLE in large lumps.
It was a case of the club with the best offence (Richmond) playing the club with the best defence (Carlton).
And it was the Tigers’ forwards – brilliantly led by Guinane and Hart – that came out on top.
These two were the architects of most of the side’s moves up to half-time, though Hart was curbed a bit in the second half by Goold.
Guinane and Hart constantly interchanged in the positions of centre half-forward and full-forward. This gave their opponents a torrid time, but it seemed risky and unnecessary to shift the brilliant Royce Hart.
At the spearhead Hart was lively and damaging, whether the ball was high or on the ground.
Paddy Guinane was also playing well at centre half-forward.
The game started badly for the Blues when full-forward Hart chalked up two goals in the opening two minutes.
Carlton leveled the score after eight minutes with goals from Gallagher on the run and a magnificent kick from Barassi at centre half-forward.
The ball had only travelled eight yards, but umpire Sheales paid the mark.
This great goal should have settled Barassi, who was very toey before the game.
But the champion was like a fractious blue-blood and over-anxiousness was evident in his play to half-time.
Barassi caused a sensation before the start of the match when he led his team out about 10 minutes early.
He called for four balls and gave his side circle work to get them warmed up.
However, the moment umpire Peter Sheales stepped on to the arena he ordered the practice balls off.
Carlton will have to pay a fine for breaking the VFL’s domestic ruling on pre-match use of footballs.
Perhaps the Blues were anticipating this, for all the balls went back in the bag – not out into the crowd for souvenirs.
The Blues’ biggest gamble in playing Wes Lofts exploded with disastrous results.
Big Wes misjudged his first attempt to punch the ball clear of young Royce Hart. The kid marked and goaled within 50 seconds of the bounce.
Lofts’ fitness had been in doubt throughout the week and it certainly looked as though a thumb injury was handicapping him.
Barassi had to move the State full-back into the forward line half-way through the second quarter and after half-time Lofts did not resume.
Richmond won because in the first half it played powerhouse football.
Twice the Tigers got a break on Carlton but the tenacious Blues fought back to level the scores. Seven minutes into the second quarter Carlton was in front.
But the effort sapped a lot of energy and sting.
The reconstructed backline was breaking up and Richmond took the ball away from the packs.
Carlton were slower to the ball and were outmarked.
Barrot, after a quiet start, thrashed Gordon Collis and wingmen Clay and Bourke were winning.
Barassi made a supreme effort to lift his team in the third quarter.
Richmond was put under the hammer and came back at their opponents, giving away many foolish frees.
Luckily Northey was paid a lucky free and his wobbly kick was strongly marked by Hart.
This was the most important goal of the match. It was Hart’s fifth and Richmond’s 12th. And it gave the Tigers the break of 21 points. The team never looked in danger from this point.
Carlton’s experienced players in Nicholls, Barassi, Silvagni and Goold tried hard all day, but received little support.
The Tigers’ backline was well served by Swift at full-back and Burgin, Perry and Strang, and no Carlton forward outplayed his marksmen all day.
Most of the Blues’ goals came from the resting ruckmen and rovers.
Quirk fought back to finish slightly in front of Clay – a good performance, while Cliff Stewart never gave in on Bourke.
Carlton – on this performance – are going to have plenty of headaches defeating Geelong, who play much the same brand of football as Richmond.
The Blues are without a key forward, and on Saturday their defence cracked under the avalanche of opportunities provided by the dashing half-backs, Barrot and their rucks.
Gallagher gathered many kicks in the first half, Munari was dangerous around the half-forward line, but still too many of Nicholls’ knock-downs were sharked by Richmond.”
GOOD VALUE
Richmond: Barrot, Burgin, Hart, Strang, Barry Richardson, Patterson, Swift, Perry, Crowe, A. Richardson, Guinane, Bourke, Brown.
Carlton: Nicholls, Goold, Munari, Barassi, Quirk, Silvagni, Kerr, Gallagher.
MATCH DETAILS
Richmond 5.8 10.13 14.16 20.21 (141)
Carlton 3.4 7.9 11.12 14.17 (101)
Goals
Richmond: Hart 6, Patterson 3, Brown 3, Guinane 2, Northey 2, B. Richardson 2, Barrot, Bartlett.
Carlton: Nicholls 3, Munari 3, Kekovich 2, Jesaulenko 2, Barassi 2, Silvagni, Gallagher.
Crowd: 99,051 (a record for a second semi-final).
Reported: N. Crowe (Richmond) reported by boundary umpire Fitzgerald on a charge of having deliberately struck J. Nicholls (Carlton) with a clenched fist during the third quarter.
RICHMOND MATCH STATS
Roger Dean: 8 kicks, 1 handball, 6 marks
Fred Swift: 10 kicks, 0 handballs, 6 marks
Tony Jewell: 10 kicks, 2 handballs, 4 marks
Graham Burgin: 16 kicks, 2 handballs, 7 marks
Mike Perry: 10 kicks, 2 handballs, 4 marks
Geoff Strang: 13 kicks, 1 handball, 6 marks
Francis Bourke: 15 kicks, 4 handballs, 2 marks
Bill Barrot: 23 kicks, 2 handballs, 4 marks
Dick Clay: 11 kicks, 4 handballs, 5 marks
John Northey: 11 kicks, 3 handballs, 1 mark
Paddy Guinane: 11 kicks, 2 handballs, 8 marks
Barry Richardson: 16 kicks, 1 handball, 6 marks
Mike Patterson: 12 kicks, 0 handballs, 6 marks
Royce Hart: 11 kicks, 1 handball, 7 marks
Billy Brown: 16 kicks, 3 handballs, 3 marks
Neville Crowe: 8 kicks, 3 handballs, 6 marks
Alan Richardson: 12 kicks, 7 handballs, 6 marks
Kevin Bartlett: 17 kicks, 1 handball, 4 marks
John Perry (19th man): 3 kicks, 0 handballs, 0 marks
Kevin Shinners (20th man): 1 kick, 0 handballs, 0 marks
Total: 234 kicks, 39 handballs, 91 marks
Veteran Tiger key-forward star, Paddy Guinane, in a post-game column for ‘The Herald’, wrote:
“Carlton fell for the old trap of leaving too much work to too few players in the VFL second semi-final against Richmond.
They were nowhere near good enough to upset a Richmond side which produced its best team effort for the season.
Carlton disappointed me. They’ll have to get stuck into it more, and pull something extra out of the bag if they want to beat Geelong next Saturday . . .
Without being smug, I’m not worried which side wins the preliminary final. I think that with normal luck, we will win the flag.
After our win against Carlton, a lot of people compared our style with Geelong’s. They’re way off beam.
There’s one big difference between Richmond and Geelong, and it’s the difference that wins hard finals matches – TACKLING.
Geelong don’t keep the opposition under pressure with tackling, while we’ve been drilled to play it hard all the time.
Carlton, not Geelong, are the best side we have met this season. Carlton played magnificently when they ran us to two points at Carlton.
We thought we would be a five-goal better side on the MCG, and so it proved. Richmond have improved, while Carlton have dropped back a bit.
On Saturday we planned to keep both the Carlton defence and main ruckman John Nicholls under pressure. It worked.
The changing of myself and Royce Hart in the key forward positions, plus the switching of our resting forward pockets upset the great co-operation between the Carlton backmen.
It didn’t help Carlton that Wes Lofts didn’t strike form. I know how he feels. I’ve had the same experience of failing in a match after passing all previous training tests.
Neville Crowe spent more time on the ball than usual, and I thought he nullified Nicholls to a fair degree.
Our players were not affected by finals nerves, although the tension and the fear of making a mistake, upset some of them briefly.
The physical clashes were not as fierce as I expected and there was never a completely desperate, do-or-die atmosphere.
Carlton kicked a good score, but it is worth pointing out that they scored about seven of their goals through our mistakes, rather than their own good work.
They haven’t our high marking ability, and they haven’t a star full-forward like Royce Hart, one of the best players I’ve ever seen.
I’m convinced that Hart has the potential to become the best player in the League. You could play him anywhere, and he would still be a star.
The driving force behind the Richmond team is coach Tom Hafey. His faith and confidence in the side is contagious.
He has worked out the strategy where our game is custom-built for the MCG. That’s why I think we can take the premiership.”
Here’s how Tiger coach Tommy Hafey, captain Fred Swift and Carlton captain-coach Ron Barassi viewed the result . . .
Tommy Hafey: “I am very pleased with this victory, which came from a great team effort. Our players were determined to get there, and show they were the most determined side in the League. The Tigers gave a great display, but I felt the team did not make maximum use of its brilliance.”
Fred Swift: “This was a tremendous effort by every Richmond player. They gave everything they had in 100 minutes of football. I felt that overall we gained our drive from the ruck and the centre line. Our forwards were too elusive for the slow Carlton defenders.”
Ron Barassi: “Richmond was much too good, particularly in its backing up, marking and kicking. We had no counter to these winning strengths. But I feel we are certain to have learned from the game.”
And, finally, dual St Kilda Brownlow Medallist, Ian Stewart (just over three years before sensationally joining Richmond) in his special finals column for ‘The Age’ wrote:
“Richmond’s remarkable win on Saturday opened my eyes to the quality of the lesser known players in its team.
Players like Graham Burgin, Geoff Strang, Francis Bourke and Barry Richardson, none of whom is a firmly established League player, displayed poise, determination and the aptitude which is becoming a Richmond trademark – good, long kicking.
From players of this calibre Richmond draws great strength.
And it must be disheartening to any opposition to find the lesser known players, in this case all on flank positions, performing like veterans.
This strength on the flanks makes the job easier for the key position players, like Bill Barrot, Paddy Guinane and Mike Perry, who have only their own opponents to worry about.
Richmond’s effort was a model of team balance. On looking through the line-up, it was impossible to say that any player had done less than a good job – even 19th man John Perry did well in the few moments he was on the field.
I’ve heard it said that Carlton had too many bad players. I disagree. In my opinion Carlton played well.
For a start it was the Blues’ second highest score of the season, and it was kicked against a first-class defence.
Whether or not Richmond goes on to win the premiership, football followers owe it a vote of thanks for the stylish game it is playing.
The club has placed an emphasis on skill, particularly kicking, and it certain that most other clubs are taking note of the Tigers’ success.
In the long run it could mean better football all round for the public.”
