With superstar midfielder Patrick Dangerfield having an incredible impact in his first game for Geelong on Easter Monday, after transferring from Adelaide, Tony Greenberg takes the Tiger Time Machine back to the opening round of the 1971 season to look at a dazzling debut for Richmond by one of league football’s all-time greats . . .
On Saturday, April 3, 1971, at the Junction Oval, dual St Kilda Brownlow Medallist, Ian Stewart, pulled on the famous Yellow and Black guernsey for the first time in an official league match, when Richmond took on Fitzroy in the season-opener at the Junction Oval (formerly the Saints’ home ground).
Stewart had been part of the most sensational swap in league football history during the off-season, with St Kilda trading him to Richmond in exchange for dynamic Tiger centreman and dual premiership hero Bill Barrot.
A plethora of publicity had surrounded the exchange of the two brilliant centremen, with critics, fans and the football world, in general, endlessly debating which club would get the better of the dramatic deal.
The Tigers had missed the finals in 1970 (finished 6th the then 12-team competition) after winning the flag the previous year, and were hell-bent on returning to September action in ’71.
Stewart’s signing had reinvigorated the crew at Punt Road, and there was anticipation aplenty leading into the new season.
First-up, was a clash with Fitzroy, who finished 9th in 1970, but had caused the boilover of the season, beating reigning premier Richmond in a ground-breaking Sunday opening round match, played in front of Queen Elizabeth and other members of the Royal Family.
Wearing the No. 2 guernsey, Stewart took his place in the Richmond side for the ’71 season-opener against the Lions, alongside Tiger big guns such as Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke, Dick Clay, Michael Green, Royce Hart, Kevin Sheedy and captain Roger Dean.
The Tigers’ rich reservoir of talent quickly slipped into gear, with a six-goal opening term (to Fitzroy’s two goals) laying the groundwork for what was to be a decisive victory.
Stewart’s dominance in the pivot, superbly supported by star wingmen Francis Bourke and Dick Clay, proved far too hot for the Lions to handle.
The floodgates opened in the third quarter, as Richmond piled on nine goals (from 19 shots) to two, before coasting home in the final term to record a 61-point victory.
‘Footy Week’ magazine rated ‘Stewie’ best-on-ground, ‘The Age’ rated him as the Tigers’ second best, while ‘The Sun’ had him as the team’s fourth best.
He had 25 kicks (11 of them coming in the second quarter), two handballs and seven marks in a display that had the Richmond faithful drooling.
“Former Saints’ centre Ian Stewart was brilliant. He started slowly, but after he found his feet, he was impassable. His magnificent reflex actions by handballing or tapping the ball to a teammate often got Richmond out of trouble”, was how The Age reported Stewart’s debut in Tiger colors.
It was the start of a dream season for Stewie, who went on to win the ’71 Brownlow with 21 votes – three ahead of Essendon’s Barry Davis, Hawthorn’s Peter Hudson, and St Kilda’s John McIntosh. He also took out the Tigers’ Best and Fairest award in his debut season at the Club.
Two years later, Stewart played a prominent role in Richmond’s eighth premiership. He injured his leg during the third quarter of the 1973 Grand Final against Carlton and was subsequently shifted from the centre to a forward pocket, where, despite noticeably limping, he managed to boot two vital goals. He also polled 17 Brownlow votes that season, to further highlight the success of his trade to Tigerland.
Barrot, on the other hand, managed just two games with St Kilda, before walking out on the club.
He was subsequently cleared to Carlton, where he played out the remainder of the ’71 season, finishing a creditable eighth in the Blues’ Best and Fairest.
Round 1, 1971 match details
Richmond 6.3 11.6 20.16 22.18 (150)
Fitzroy 2.3 6.6 8.6 14.5 (89)
Goals – Richmond: Bartlett 6, Brown 4, Hart 4, Dean 3, Bourke, Boyanich, Hunt, Moore, Roberts.
The Richmond team
K. Bartlett
C. Beard
G. Bond
F. Bourke
M. Bowden
R. Boyanich
B. Brown
G. Burgin
D. Clay
R. Dean
M. Green
R. Hart
R. Hunt
E. Leech
E. Moore
B. Richardson
B. Roberts
K. Sheedy
I. Stewart
G. Strang
