The Richmond-Carlton rivalry is one of the greatest, most intense in league football history. Tony Greenberg has witnessed numerous highlights in matches between the Tigers and Blues over the past half-century. Here, in chronological order, are his top 10 Yellow and Black memories emanating from Carlton clashes . . .
- Queen’s Birthday round of the 1967 season . . . first-year player, Royce Hart, kicks the winning goal for the Tigers in a classic encounter at Princes Park, with an amazing rolling shot from about 70 metres out.
- Royce’s breathtaking six-goal performance in his debut finals match (and the Tigers’ first for 20 years) – the ’67 second semi-final – lifts Richmond to a resounding victory over the Blues.
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- ‘Bustling’ Billy Barrot’s eight-goal blitz, when shifted to full-forward in the second last home-and-away round clash of the ’69 season at Princes Park. Richmond gets up in a do-or-die game after being well down during the second quarter.
- Eric Moore’s gutsy mark and crucial goal right on three-quarter-time of the 1969 Grand Final, after being pole-axed by a band of Blues’ backmen.
- A curly-haired, teenage speedster by the name of Graeme Bond kicks the match-sealing goal for the Tigers in the ’69 Grand Final v the Blues. Bond had come on to the field deep in the last quarter as 19th man.
- Little Laurie Fowler’s airborne, bone-crunching shirtfront on Carlton colossus John Nicholls in the 1973 Grand Final. ‘Big Nick’ eventually gets to his feet, but for the rest of the match is a shadow of the player who destroyed the Tigers with six goals in the previous year’s GF.
- Kevin Sheedy’s dynamic opening term against Carlton in the 1973 Grand Final. ‘Sheeds’ sets the scene early for Richmond’s ‘Day of Atonement’ with an inspirational three-goal burst.
- A wispy-haired, 33-year-old, affectionately known as ‘Hungry’ (real name Kevin Bartlett), bamboozles the Blues with a scintillating six-goal display in the 1980 qualifying final at Waverley Park.
- Final round of the 1997 season . . . the Tigers trail Carlton by about seven goals during the third quarter of the clash at Optus Oval, but stage a fantastic fight-back to win the game and knock the Blues out of finals contention.
- In a stunning upset, midway through the 1988 season, the lowly Tigers knock off the reigning premier, Carlton, in strangely foggy conditions (bordering on the mystical) on a Friday night at the MCG. Little-known left-footer, Chris Pym, is the match-winner for Richmond, with 27 touches and three goals.
