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 ‘The Age’ football journalist Trevor Grant’s report of Richmond’s Round 6 match of the ’80 season against Geelong at VFL Park, which took place on Saturday, May 3 before a crowd of 47,625.
“It is close on a year ago that novice Richmond coach Tony Jewell sat glumly in the dressing room at VFL Park and revealed that he believed he was on the verge of getting the sack.
He was like the rest of the Richmond following. Unable to see anything but frustration and gloom ahead.
It was fitting that on Saturday in that same room, after Richmond had held onto second place with an 11-point win over Geelong, Jewell talked of nothing but the blossoming future ahead of his club.
“You would not believe Richmond is the same place now as last year. It’s something called spirit I guess,” he said.
Whatever it is, Jewell, possibly the most candid coach in the VFL, is willing to blame himself publicly for its absence last year.
“I had a poor year. I didn’t think I communicated well and I didn’t think I handled myself well in a lot of areas,” he said.
Apart from these intangibles, it is obvious the emergence of such players as ruckman Mark Lee and rover Robert Wiley has played an important role in Richmond’s improvement.
On Saturday, these two remained on the ball for almost the whole game. This gave Richmond a high degree of skill as well as persistence at the centre of activity.
Lee outstripped his beanpole opponent Rod Blake, who has been regarded as one of the most improved ruckmen in the VFL.
Lee’s potential goes way beyond this. His skilful ball-handling on the ground and powerful dashes on Saturday were reminiscent of Collingwood’s Brownlow Medallist Peter Moore at his very best.
Wiley’s form this year has changed the minds of many Richmond fans, who believed he had been a “dud” buy from the West’s used-rover market.
Injury last year prevented him from showing his best.
Wiley is now at the head of a slick bunch of rovers. It seems that Richmond took a lot of notice at what brought success to Carlton last year.
The Tiger’s ability to keep the ball on the run for most of the game brought victory. They almost got run over in the final 15 minutes, however, when Geelong finally decided to exert some pressure.
Geelong had done far too little in the first three quarters to warrant victory.
Coach Bill Goggin accepted some of the blame for his team’s early sluggishness when he admitted to a tactical blunder involving full-back Gary Malarkey.
Goggin referred to him as “Australia’s greatest full-back” after the match. Yet for the start he lined up in the centre, with former Footscray defender Richard Murrie in Malarkey’s usual position.
Richmond full-forward Michael Roach, whose spring and sure marking make him a difficult opponent at any time, kicked three goals in the first 23 minutes to send his team straight into command.
At quarter-time Murrie was taken off the ground and Malarkey, who did not appear to enjoy his stint as a centreman, went back to full-back.
Roach got only one more goal for the match – but the damage had already been done.
“It was an error and I take the blame,” Goggin said. “I can assure you were are not going to play Australia’s greatest full-back out of position again.”
Match details
Richmond 5.3 6.7 9.13 12.16 (88)
Geelong 1.5 3.7 4.10 10.17 (77)
Goals – Richmond: Roach 4, Monteath 2, Bartlett 2, Wiley, Weightman, Tempany, Sarah.
Goals – Geelong: Turner 2, Clarke 2, Featherby 2, Witcombe, Bruns, Donohue, Lunn.
Best – Richmond: Wiley, Lee, Bartlett, Dunne, Jess, Monteath.
Best – Geelong: Clarke, Turner, Bruns, Malarkey, Featherby, Witcombe.
