To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1980 premiership, Richmond Media 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 reporter Damien Comerford’s review of Richmond’s Round 7 match of the ’80 season against Footscray at the Western Oval, which took place on Saturday, May 10 before a crowd of 16,471.
“History not only failed to repeat itself at the Western Oval on Saturday, Richmond made it an object of ridicule.
Richmond coach Tony Jewell laughingly conceded that he had been concerned at the Tigers’ poor record at the ground.
“In my time we’ve only won here on three occasions,” Jewell said.
Richmond showed a contemptuous disregard for Footscray in a display that gave the goal umpire little respite from flag waving.
The story of Richmond’s win is reflected by the match statistics.
Ruckman Mark Lee could have been forgiven for thinking Footscray had failed to field an opposing follower such was his dominance of the centre bounces. He palmed and punched the ball to his rovers more than 50 times with the result that rover Robert Wiley and centreman Geoff Raines had 37 kicks between them.
That pair was secure in the knowledge that all it had to do was aim its kicks at the long, strong arms of full-forward Michael Roach.
When Roach was not plucking the ball down from great heights he was scurrying in packs or shepherding a clear passage goalwards for his teammates. But most importantly he was kicking goals – 11 of them.
Footscray played Ian Morrison, Robert Groenewegen and Neil Cordy on Roach at varying stages but the Tiger forward outmarked them 16 times.
Morrison was the only one to restore his last pride. He was shifted to full-forward for the second half and kicked three goals. Roach kicked five of his 11 goals on Cordy in the Tigers’ 10-goal last-quarter burst. He was given great support by Kevin Bartlett on a flank who kicked four goals for the game, and David Cloke at centre half-forward.
Footscray’s rare forward movements were stopped by Richmond centre half-back Jim Jess, who was given the task of trying to put Footscray centre half-forward Kelvin Templeton out of business. He succeeded admirably. Templeton managed only two goals.
Footscray coach Royce Hart was scathingly critical of his players. “If there is an easy way out they will take it,” Hart said. “You expect blokes who have been playing football for a long time to be able to follow simple instructions”.”
Match details
Richmond 3.1 9.10 17.12 27.18 (180)
Footscray 1.2 3.6 6.7 10.10 (70)
Goals – Richmond: Roach 11, Bartlett 4, Wiley 2, Weightman 2, Raines 2, Monteath 2, Sarah 2, Cloke, Keane.
Best – Richmond: Roach (best on ground), Lee, Raines, Jess, Wiley, Bartlett, Cloke.
Goals – Footscray: Morrison 3, Templeton 2, Seery 2, Atkinson, Whitten, Davidson.
Best – Footscray: Berry, Dunstan, Wheeler.
