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 take a look at Richmond’s Round 3 match of the 1980 season against St Kilda, which took place at the MCG on Saturday, April 12, before a crowd of 37,076.
Richmond and St Kilda played a thrilling, high-scoring draw in their Round 3, 1980 encounter at the MCG.
The Tigers had gone into the contest as hot favorites on their home deck, with the 1979 wooden-spoon-Saints having suffered two disappointing losses in the opening two rounds of the season, prompting president Lindsay Fox to sack coach Mike Patterson and replace him with Carlton legend Alex Jesaulenko, who had joined them in sensational circumstances after guiding the Blues to the ’79 premiership.
With ‘Jezza’ taking the reins as playing coach, it was a revitalised St Kilda that rose to the challenge against Richmond on a perfect autumn day.
Right from the opening bounce you could see that the Saints were on and this was going to be no walk in the park for the Tigers.
St Kilda took a four-point lead into the quarter-time break and by half-time had slightly increased that to an eight-point advantage.
Although Jesaulenko wasn’t a dominant force on-field, his leadership was providing the Saints with a constant source of inspiration.
No player lifted more than big forward/ruckman Dean Herbert, who gave the Richmond defence plenty of problems through his size and ability to hit the scoreboard.
One Tiger defender who wasn’t fazed, however, was 21-year-old debutant from Victorian country town Tyntynder, Terry Smith.
Playing across half-back, he was rock-solid, composed and disciplined, belying his inexperience at the game’s highest level.
Star rovers Dale Weightman and Robert Wiley, along with gun centreman Geoff Raines were generating plenty of drive for Richmond around the packs, but still St Kilda resisted, and it clung to a six-point lead at the final change.
The last quarter was a see-sawing epic.
Champion Tiger veteran Kevin Bartlett levelled the scores in the dying moments with his third goal for the term.
Another Richmond stalwart great in Francis Bourke then had a long shot for goal right on the final siren that just failed to make the distance, ensuring the drawn result.
Weightman, with 25 disposals and four goals was the Tigers’ best player, while Wiley, Raines, Smith, captain Bruce Monteath and Jim Jess also were prominent, and Bartlett’s last-quarter heroics nearly propelled the home side to victory.
St Kilda was well served by Herbert, who finished with a game-high five goals, centreman Greg Burns, who had a game-high 29 disposals, Trevor Barker (20 disposals) and Russell Greene (20 disposals).
Interestingly, three members of that Saints’ team went on to play for Richmond – Ian Sartori, Jeff Dunne and Michael Roberts.
Graeme Bond, who was in St Kilda’s side that day, had been a premiership player with the Tigers in 1969. Mick Malthouse, on the other hand, had transferred from the Saints in 1976 to Richmond.
And, Terry Smith, a member of the Tigers’ premiership side that season, would later have a stint at St Kilda, before returning to Punt Road.
Match details
Richmond 4.5 7.10 12.15 18.20 (128)
St Kilda 5.3 9.6 14.9 19.14 (128)
Goals – Richmond: Weightman 4, Bartlett 3, Lee 3, Roach 3, Cloke, Monteath, Rowlings, Sarah, Wiley.
Leading possession-winners – Richmond: Wiley 26, Weightman 25, Raines 21, Jess 20, Monteath 20.
Goals – St Kilda: Herbert 5, Barker 2, Burns 2, O’Dea 2, Sarau 2, Sidebottom 2, Stone 2, Roberts, Sartori.
Leading possession-winners – St Kilda: Burns 29, Barker 20, Greene 20, O’Dea 18, Stone 18.
