On the day that Richmond honoured cult-figure, former player Scott Turner, as its latest Homecoming Hero for the 2016 season, current-day big Tiger Shaun Hampson paid him a special tribute of his own.
Turner’s heroic efforts throughout the second half of Richmond’s stirring 1995 semi-final comeback against Essendon, are indelibly etched in the minds of the Yellow and Black faithful fortunate enough to have witnessed what transpired that glorious September Saturday afternoon at the MCG two decades ago.
With the Tigers trailing by five goals at half-time, and seemingly headed for a straight sets exit from the finals, coach John Northey moved Turner from his customary full-back role to the forward line, in a desperate bid to provide a spark for the team.
It proved to be a masterstroke, with Turner having a huge impact, through applying physical pressure on the opposition, as well as some decent scoreboard pressure.
Turner helped turn the tide and lift Richmond to a memorable win, with two second-half goals – one of them an absolute gem, during the third quarter.
The backman-turned-forward showcased his football guile by grabbing the ball out of a ruck contest in the forward pocket and slamming it through for a superb, inspirational goal.
Fast-forward 21 years, to Round 17 of the 2016 season at the same venue, and Richmond’s much-improved ruckman Shaun Hampson channelled Turner during the opening quarter of the Tigers’ clash with Essendon.
Someone watched the Scott Turner highlights during the week.
— Richmond FC (@Richmond_FC) July 17, 2016
Hear from Hampson post game: https://t.co/fmPZwSvIaO https://t.co/z3E18VT3nB
After the Bombers had shot out of the blocks, kicking the first three goals of the game, Hampson performed his best Scotty Turner impersonation.
‘Hammer’ boldly seized the ball from a forward-pocket throw-in, threw it on his boot, and watched it sail through for a much-needed goal that opened Richmond’s six-pointer account for the match.
“I never really try that sort of stuff, but it was just on and I thought, why not,” Hampson told ‘Roar Vision’ post-game.
“It just came off okay, but I got a lucky bounce in the end, as well, which is good.”
Hampson continued his strong form this season in the 19-point victory over the Bombers, finishing with 11 disposals, including seven contested possessions, three marks, four tackles, that valuable goal, and a highly-impressive (yet again) 40 hit-outs.
He is ranked sixth in the competition for total hit-outs at the completion of Round 17, with 466, and is showing no signs of the medial ligament strain in his right knee that forced him to miss the recent Round 15 match against Port Adelaide.
“The knee’s feeling really good,” he said.
“The last two weeks, no incidences . . . Hopefully, fingers crossed going forward, it’ll be right.”
Hampson is in line for his career-high number of games in an AFL season, having played 14 of a possible 16 so far in 2016.
The most he’s played in a season is 15, which he managed while still at Carlton, back in 2009.