The opening round of the league football season, 50 years ago, is etched in the memories of older Richmond devotees for a couple of very good reasons. Tony Greenberg takes up the story . . .

Round 1, 1966 was a truly momentous occasion in Richmond’s league football history.

On April 25 (Anzac Day) that year, future Tiger ‘Immortal’ Tommy Hafey stepped out to make his league coaching debut with the club where he’d played 67 games, as a self-described battling back pocket, during the 1950s.

Hafey had been appointed to the key post at Tigerland after coaching Victorian country team Shepparton to three successive premierships from 1963-65, and earning a glowing reputation for the ability to extract the maximum out of the playing talent at his disposal.

Richmond, having shown considerable improvement to finish fifth in 1965, with 10 wins and eight losses from its 18 games, made the trip out to Princes Park to take on Carlton, who had finished sixth in ’65 under its first-year captain-coach Ron Barassi, also with 10 wins and eight losses. 

All was in readiness for a crackerjack opening to the ’66 season – and that’s exactly how it panned out.

It was goal for goal right throughout the contest, with the huge crowd reveling in the titanic battle between these traditional rivals.

But it was the end of the match, which set this apart from your run-of-the-mill, season-opener thriller.

When Richmond time-keeper Bill Stanborough went to push the button to activate the final siren, with the Tigers leading by a goal, there was no sound – however, what followed was anything but tranquility.

Many years later, I interviewed another long-serving Richmond time-keeper, Roy Watkins, who officiated in the reserve-grade curtain-raiser that day.

Watkins, who has since passed away, provided a fascinating insight into the drama that unfolded when that final siren failed in Tommy Hafey’s first game as the Tigers’ coach . . .

“The time-keepers area at Princes Park had just been transferred to the scoreboard and I noticed before the game that there was no emergency bell in place – it was in a wheelbarrow under the scoreboard,” Watkins said.

“I was standing in the players’ race, watching the closing stages of the match with Charlie Priestley (Richmond committeeman), when I noticed Bill (Stanborough) waving his arms like mad.

“There was poor, old Bill, desperately trying to attract the umpire’s attention, while Carlton’s time-keeper George Smith was just sitting back because the Blues were coming home pretty strongly.

“Realising that the siren had failed to sound, I flew on to the ground to tell Don Blew (the umpire) what had happened.

“But a policeman, thinking I was an intruder, gave chase to me on his horse.

“Fortunately, Don (Blew) knew me and realised that I wasn’t an intruder. He then looked up and saw Bill waving his arms.

“That’s when he signaled the game was over.”

Here’s how former Melbourne star Noel McMahen, reporting for ‘Footy Week’ magazine, assessed the epic Round 1, 1966 encounter out at Princes Park . . .

“Both Carlton and Richmond came out of their encounter with honors, but Richmond gained the four points.

It was a high class game and indicated that both teams are worthy final contenders.

The outstanding feature was the failure of the siren to sound at the end of the game. About five minutes extra time was played, but this did not affect the result as each side scored a goal.

Barassi appeared years younger as he controlled the Carlton forward line. If the Blues can afford to keep him there and relieve him of ruck duties they will benefit greatly.

I cannot recall a better opening League match. It had everything – marking, kicking and manly vigor.

GOOD VALUE:

Carlton:  Barassi, Goold and Nicholls; Richmond:  Crowe, Dean and Walford – in a very even side.

POOR VALUE:

Richmond:  From the finals point of view the Tigers lack pace on the half-back line; Carlton:  A lack of physical strength on their half-forward line.”

Carlton                 3.3          7.5          10.10     14.16 (100)
Richmond           3.4          7.6          11.7        16.10 (106)

Goalkickers

Richmond:  Northey 3, Guinane 3, Swift 3, Warner 2, Dean 2, Barrot, Hogan, Dimattina; Carlton:  Barassi 4, Quirk 2, Pleydell 2, Silvagni 2, Robertson, Nicholls, Gallagher, Thomas.

Umpire:  Don Blew

Crowd:  43,018

The Richmond players’ match statistics, Round 1, 1966

W. Dickeson:  11 kicks, 0 handballs, 2 marks
W. Walford:  16 kicks, 0 handballs, 5 marks
N. Busse:  4 kicks, 1 handball, 1 mark
B. Cameron:  8 kicks, 4 handballs, 3 marks
K. Smith:  9 kicks, 0 handballs, 3 marks
G. Gahan:  12 kicks, 0 handballs, 3 marks
T. Gowers:  12 kicks, 0 handballs, 2 marks
W. Barrot:  20 kicks, 0 handballs, 1 mark
D. Davenport:  12 kicks, 0 handballs, 1 mark
J. Northey:  9 kicks, 2 handballs, 0 marks
R. Warner:  11 kicks, 3 handballs, 5 marks
R. Dean:  12 kicks, 1 handball, 1 mark
P. Guinane:  7 kicks, 0 handballs, 5 marks
F. Swift:  10 kicks, 0 handballs, 2 marks
P. Hogan:  14 kicks, 0 handballs, 1 mark
N. Crowe:  11 kicks, 6 handballs, 6 marks
A. Richardson:  12 kicks, 7 handballs, 2 marks
F. Dimattina:  14 kicks, 2 handballs, 1 mark
K. Bartlett 19^th man:  5 kicks, 0 handballs, 0 marks
M. Hammond 20^th man:  0 kicks, 0 handballs, 0 marks