In the lead-up to the State-of-Origin Bushfire Relief match between Victoria and the All Stars at Marvel Stadium on Friday week (February 28), Richmond Media will be running a series of historical articles about some top Tiger performers on the interstate football stage. We kick off today with a mighty Richmond ‘Immortal’ . . .
Royce Hart was a 19-year-old in his debut season of VFL football for Richmond, with just four games of experience at senior level, when he was picked to play for the Victorian second team against Tasmania at the North Hobart oval in 1967.
The exciting teenage full-forward from Tasmanian club Clarence had grabbed the attention of the big V selectors with 10 goals in the opening four rounds of the ’67 season (10.16).
WE’RE FROM TIGERLAND Join or renew as a 2020 Richmond member
But a week before the game against his native state, there was a change of plans for Hart.
The great Ron Barassi had been forced to withdraw from the main Victorian team that was set to play West Australia at the MCG because of injury, and Hart was promoted as his replacement.
On Saturday, June 17, just five days after kicking five goals for the Tigers, including the match-winning one, in an epic Queen’s Birthday Monday clash with Carlton at Princes Park, and with a total of 27 goals from nine games in his debut season of league football, Hart lined up at full-forward in the Big V line-up.
He proceeded to produce a superb, seven-goal performance that was the catalyst for a decisive, 53-point Victorian victory.
From the outset, Hart rang rings around the Sandgropers. The beneficiary of a pass from Richmond teammate Bill Barrot, Hart steered through the first goal of the match with his first kick in interstate football.
Six more six-pointers were to follow, as Hart well and truly announced himself on the big football stage.
‘Footy Week’ editor Harry Beitzel was one of the many scribes of the day totally enamoured with Hart’s dazzling display.
“Sensation of the game was the brilliant interstate debut by Richmond full-forward Royce Hart. His seven goals shows he will be a star of the future and probably will play for Victoria many times,” Beitzel wrote.
Another of the Footy Week writers also was glowing in his praise of Hart . . .
“There’s no doubt about that young Tiger full-forward, he’s well named. He certainly showed some heart in his first interstate game.
Royce Hart, playing in only his 10th senior game, kicked 7 goals, 4 behinds and missed a couple more.
As predicted in Footy Week earlier this year this boy will be another John Coleman.
A great performance. He is the personality player whom crowds will flock to see.”
Hart finished the match with 14 kicks, one handball, seven marks and seven goals.
Interestingly, Hart’s WA opponent that day was Colin Beard, who would go on to be his 1969 premiership teammate at Tigerland.
There were three Richmond players all-up in that Victorian side – Hart, Barrot and Dick Clay. Hart was acknowledged as best afield in Footy Week, Barrot was second best, and Clay also made the best players’ list for the Big V.
Barrot’s key match statistics were 24 kicks, five handballs, 10 marks, three goals, while Clay’s were 22 kicks, one handball, eight marks, one goal.
Match details
Victoria 8.3 12.9 16.11 20.15 (135)
West Australia 3.2 7.8 9.14 11.16 (82)
Goals – Victoria: Hart 7, Birt 4, Barrot 3, Baldock 2, Noonan, Skilton, Thompson, Clay.
Best – Victoria: Hart (best on ground), Barrot, Birt, Waters, Schultz, Gerlach, Griffiths, Clay, Meagher, Marshall.
Goals – West Australia: Johnson 5, Cable 4, Lewis 2.
Best – West Australia: Cable, McIntosh, Johnson, Thornley, Dempsey, Cook, Scott, Brown, Graham.
