To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1980 premiership, richmondfc.com.au is transporting Yellow and Black barrackers back in time throughout 2020 to follow the Punt Road path to that fantastic flag triumph. Today we examine Richmond’s Round 2 match of the 1980 season against Essendon, which took place at the MCG on Saturday, April 5, before a crowd of 51,548.

Star spearhead Michael Roach entered the Richmond rooms at half-time of the Round 2, 1980 fixture against Essendon at the MCG still yet to register a goal for the season.

Held goalless by Hawthorn in the opening round the previous week, Roach’s goal drought had extended to six quarters of football.

The Tigers had entered the contest as warm favourites after downing the Hawks in Round 1, while Essendon was coming off a disappointing loss to North Melbourne at Windy Hill.

But the Bombers bounced back strongly to take a nine-point lead into the half-time break.

Dependable Essendon defender Gary Foulds had well and truly put the clamps on Roach during the first half, but he couldn’t take his place on the field after half-time because of injury and was replaced at full-back by Roger Merrett.

That was just the break Roach needed . . .

With Roach rising to the challenge and starting to put his significant stamp on the game, and the undermanned Dons struggling to cope with injuries to several players, Richmond seized control in the third quarter, piling on 6.4 to 1.8, to take a handy 17-point lead into the final change.

Not to be denied, however, Essendon, inspired by brilliance from the enigmatic Phil Carman, rallied.

And it was Carman who put the surging Bombers one point in front deep into time-on of the last quarter with a snap from the goal-square.

Moments later, resting ruckman Max Crow sealed the result for the visitors with a strong mark up against the goal post from which he goaled.

Roach’s superb, seven-goal, second-half display hadn’t been quite enough to get Richmond over the line in what was an epic encounter with the Bombers.

Richmond coach Tony Jewell was a mighty tough taskmaster, who hated losing, but even he managed to acknowledge the effort of his players in such a high-quality, high-scoring match.

“I can’t really tip a bucket on my blokes after a game like that,” Jewell said.

Gun on-baller Barry Rowlings, who picked up 25 disposals and topped off his fine work around the ground with three goals, was the Tigers’ best performer across the four quarters.

They also were well served by other fleet-footed players in Geoff Raines, Bryan Wood and Kevin Bartlett, while up forward Roach made a spectacular return to form during the second half and David Cloke was prominent, too, booting three goals.

Match details

Richmond         4.6       9.10     15.14    17.15 (117)
Essendon          4.4       11.7     12.15    17.22 (124) 

Goals – Richmond: Roach 7, Cloke 3, Rowlings 3, Bartlett, Keane, Lee, Wall.
Leading possession-winners – Richmond: Rowlings 25, Bartlett 22, Raines 21, Wood 20, Wiley 19.

Goals – Essendon: Day 3, Dunell 3, Carman 2, Crow 2, S. Madden 2, Van Der Haar 2, Heard, Marsh, Watson.
Leading possession-winners – Essendon: Carman 26, Watson 25, Marsh 24, Day 23, Stoneham 21, Dunell 19, K. Fletcher 19, Neagle 19.