Although the annual ‘Dreamtime at the G’ clash between Richmond and Essendon, originally scheduled for this Saturday night, is not taking place because of the coronavirus restrictions, the Tigers are still celebrating the blockbuster event that has captured the imagination of the football world over the course of the past 15 years. As part of the celebrations, Richmond Media is running a series of articles throughout this week on top individual performances by Tiger Indigenous players past and present. We continue today with a breathtaking burst of brilliance from Phil Egan in 1988.
Phil Egan had endured a frustrating, injury-interrupted 1988 season up until Richmond’s Round 18 clash with North Melbourne at the MCG.
In what was only the strongly-built, talented utility player’s seventh senior game for the season, first-year Tigers coach Kevin Bartlett sprang a surprise by switching him to full-forward.
Egan had acquitted himself well in a variety of positions throughout his seven-year league football career with Richmond to that point, most notably wing, half-forward and on-ball. Lining up at full-forward, however, was something quite foreign to him.
At 180cm, Egan certainly was on the small size for a spearhead, but he had the capacity to leap high for marks, and the strength to win one-on-one contests, as the North Melbourne defenders discovered in that Round 18, 1988 encounter.
The 13th-placed Tigers, in what was then a 14-team competition, went into the match as outsiders against the Kangaroos, who were slightly better off in 10th spot on the league ladder.
But with Egan firing on all cylinders in his new role at full-forward, Richmond prevailed by 31 points in a high-scoring contest – 21.14 (140) to 16.13 (109).
Egan finished the match with 15 kicks, two handballs, 12 marks and seven goals (7.4) in a dazzling display that earned him one Brownlow Medal vote and plenty of praise.
Here is what ‘The Age’ newspaper had to say about his performance . . .
“Impressive for Richmond was Phil Egan, who was thrown in at full-forward and was perhaps the difference between the teams.
As his teammates consistently delivered the ball with accuracy, he made strong, short leads that enabled him to exploit his strong marking ability.”
With his confidence soaring after such a commanding showing, Egan doubled up superbly the following week when the Tigers met the highly-fancied, fourth-placed Melbourne side at the ‘G’.
Richmond went into the Round 19 encounter with the Demons as a rank outsider, notwithstanding its convincing Round 18 victory over North Melbourne.
The Tigers were outclassed by Melbourne in the opening term and trailed by 36 points at quarter-time.
By late in the third quarter, they were still down by five goals and staring defeat firmly in the face.
Phil Egan, however, had other ideas.
He ignited Richmond with a brilliant burst of football that enabled it to go on and record a mighty upset win by 18 points in another high-scoring extravaganza – 23.11 (149) to 20.11 (131).
Egan had 11 kicks, two handballs, took eight marks and booted seven goals (7.1) in a marvellous, match-winning performance.
‘The Age’ match report paid due tribute to Egan . . .
“The Tigers had reason to be grateful to Phil Egan, who helped them stay in reach during the first three quarters.
Egan kicked seven goals in a fine display at full-forward, including four in a row in the space of seven minutes in the third term.”
Although Egan managed only four more goals in the final three home-and-away rounds that year, he finished with a VFL career-high 26 for the season, thanks to that tremendous 14-goal blitz in consecutive weeks.
