If there’s one performance that exemplified the exhilarating, match-winning exploits of Richmond great Bill Barrot, who passed away yesterday, aged 72, it was against arch-rival Carlton in Round 19, 1969 at the ground formerly known as Princes Park. Tony Greenberg recounts what happened that day . . .
Richmond was looking dead and buried in its do-or-die encounter with arch-rival Carlton in the second last round of the 1969 home-and-away season.
The Tigers had been gathering some momentum after a horror mid-season slump, but had absolutely no margin for the error in the run home to September.
On a sunny late winter’s Saturday afternoon at Princes Park, it was all unravelling for Tommy Hafey’s men, as the Blues seized the early initiative in the match, led by about five goals midway through the second quarter, and seemed sure to end the Tigers’ finals dream.
Enter “Bustling” Billy Barrot . . .
With Richmond’s season hanging by a thread, coach Hafey swung his star centreman, Barrot, to full-forward and moved spearhead Eric Moore into the middle.
It was to prove a masterstroke, with Barrot booting eight goals and Moore providing plenty in the centre.
This is how leading football writer for ‘The Age’ newspaper at the time, Peter McFarline, described Richmond’s pulsating Barrot-led comeback victory . . .
“The Tigers did everything the hard way. They squandered chances in front of goal early, and were 17 points down going into the last quarter.
“But they turned on a sensational final term which completely flattened the Blues, and enabled them to stride to a 29-point victory.
“The end result would not have been possible without one short, sharp comment by (Tom) Hafey to his runner 14 minutes into the second quarter.
“Hafey said: “Change Bill Barrot (centre) with Eric Moore (full-forward)”.
“If the Carlton players had known what was to follow, they would have cut down the Richmond runner before he delivered the message.
“As soon as they were moved, Barrot and Moore lifted their games to unbelievable heights.
“When they changed, the Blues were 26 points in front. Four minutes later, they were only eight points in front.
‘Bustling’ Billy went on to kick eight goals, and Moore controlled the centre for the rest of the match.”
Match details
RICHMOND 5.4 9.9 15.11 24.12 (156)
CARLTON 6.1 12.2 19.4 20.7 (127)
Goals – RICHMOND: Barrot 8, Northey 5, Brown 4, Hart 3, Moore 2, Richardson, Patterson.
Best – RICHMOND: Barrot, Moore, Bartlett, Sheedy, Hart, Brown.
Barrot kicked six goals after half-time, with four coming in the last quarter, as the Tigers swamped Carlton.
In an interview years later, Barrot revealed that he couldn’t believe the luck which fell his way that late August Saturday in 1969.
“I’d never played full-forward before, but I had played out at centre half-forward a bit under Len Smith’s coaching,” he said.
“I kept playing in front, the ball just kept landing in my arms, and then my shots for goal kept going long and straight through . . . everything just fell into place.
“It was a Godsend for the Richmond Football Club because it was a must-win game for us.
“I got chaired off the ground that day by my teammates. It was like I’d played my last game!”
