Tony Greenberg cranks up the Tiger Time Machine for a trip back to 40 years ago, when Richmond took on St Kilda in the then VFL 1^st semi-final of the 1973 season.

Richmond’s burning desire to avenge its shock loss to Carlton in the amazing 1972 Grand Final goalfest, had hit a major hurdle when the Tigers suffered a 20-point defeat at the hands of the Blues in the 1973 qualifying final.

That meant Richmond, who had finished second to Collingwood at the end of the ’73 home-and-away season, was thrown into a cut-throat semi-final encounter with a buoyant St Kilda side, following its thumping 67-point victory over Essendon in the elimination final at Waverley Park, on the back of an inspired six-goal display by dangerous half-forward George Young.

With injured stars Francis Bourke and Kevin Morris failing to prove their fitness in a strong training session on the Thursday before the game, the Tigers made two changes to the line-up that had fallen short of Carlton in the qualifying final.

They replaced defender Grant Allford and full-forward Ricky McLean, with elusive half-forward Robert Lamb, and highly-respected Club stalwart, Roger Dean, who was in his 17^th season of league football.

Dean, a member of Richmond’s drought-breaking 1967 premiership side, and captain of the Tigers’ 1969 premiership team, had managed just 10 senior games during the ’73 season up until his recall on the bench as 20^th man for the 1^st semi.  That September eliminator against the Saints was to be the final game of his illustrious league football career.

In front of a big MCG crowd of 86, 483, Richmond kept its premiership dream alive, defeating St Kilda by 40 points.

The Tigers led at every change, and looked clearly the better side throughout, yet only seven points separated the two teams at the final change.

But they ran away from the Saints in the last quarter, piling on six goals to one, to advance through to the preliminary final.

Brilliant ‘ball-magnet’, Kevin Bartlett was best afield, racking up 33 kicks (and even three handballs).  He received excellent support through the midfield (or around the packs as it was known back then) from ex-Bomber Paul Sproule and triple Brownlow Medallist Ian Stewart.

Playing against his former side, Stewart’s influence increased as the match wore on and, in the final term, he constantly drove the Tigers forward.

Overall, Richmond had too much class and determination for St Kilda to handle.

Here’s a review of the game from ‘Sunday Observer’ football writer, Michael Worner . . .

“Saint George and 19 others went to the MCG yesterday to do some slaying.

They had every reason to believe that they would cut down the opposition as they had done the week before.

After all, Saint George Young had been a match-winner and there were many others who had sliced through a reeling Essendon.

But they met 20 Tigers, burning bright, and the fire and smoke drove the Saints back to Moorabbin to plan for another year.

The fire and smoke came mainly from the centre of the ground.

It was here that Richmond did the slaying, mainly through the speed and agility of Kevin Bartlett, Paul Sproule and Ian Stewart.

Sproule, relishing his freedom as a ruck-rover, had 11 kicks in the first quarter.

He set the pattern for a tearaway Tiger onslaught which only failed in front of goals.

Here Saint “Cowboy” (Neale) had pleasure in gunning down “Big Bad” Balme (Neil).  Neale punched and kicked (the ball) and bumped and contested.

He got support from players like Wayne Judson and Jeff Sarau.

The fact that the Saints’ half-back line of Russell Reynolds, Barry Lawrence and Neil Besanko got 60 kicks between them would suggest that they had a picnic.

They certainly had a good day, but it was also an indication of just how many times the ball came down to them.

Their opponents, Stephen Rae, Royce Hart and Robert Lamb had more than 40 kicks.  

Saints’ coach Allan Jeans said after the match that it was Richmond’s speed and cleverness around the packs that were his side’s death knell.

And Kevin Bartlett weaving and dodging with the ball out of packs, rubbed it in for Jeans.

“We have needed a rover all the year.  It has been our downfall so many times,” he said.

Bartlett finished the game with 33 kicks – his share and a St Kilda rover’s as well.

His counterparts, Stuart Trott and Jeff Moran had nine kicks each.  Both had only sporadic influence on the game . . .

Kevin Sheedy, a “dragon extraordinaire”, put Saint George Young right out of business.

The WA player, admittedly lacking many chances, could not find his MCG feet.

And Barry Breen, except for a St Kilda purple patch of five goals in four minutes, was badly beaten by Robert McGhie.

Match details

Richmond           2.6          6.11        9.15        15.18  (108)

St Kilda                 1.5          3.8          8.14        9.14  (68)

Goals – Richmond:  Hart 2, Sproule 2, Bartlett 2, Rae 2, Cumming, Stewart, Dean, Roberts, Wood, Lamb, Green.

Best – Richmond:  Bartlett (best on ground), Sproule, Stewart, Sheedy, Walsh, Green, Rae, Hart.

Richmond player statistics

Laurie Fowler:  7 kicks, 1 handballs, 4 marks

Dick Clay:  4 kicks, 1 handball, 3 marks

Rex Hunt:  7 kicks, 1 handball, 4 marks

Kevin Sheedy:  13 kicks, 8 handballs, 3 marks

Robert McGhie:  7 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks

Mervyn Keane:  13 kicks, 6 handballs, 3 marks

Bryan Wood:  15 kicks, 4 handballs, 3 marks

Ian Stewart:  18 kicks, 2 handballs, 2 marks

Wayne Walsh:  21 kicks, 4 handballs, 6 marks

Stephen Rae:  14 kicks, 7 handballs, 0 marks

Royce Hart:  19 kicks, 6 handballs, 7 marks

Robert Lamb:  10 kicks, 0 handballs, 3 marks

Daryl Cumming:  4 kicks, 2 handballs, 1 mark

Neil Balme:  4 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks

Michael Green:  9 kicks, 2 handballs, 8 marks

Brian Roberts:  6 kicks, 4 handballs, 5 marks

Paul Sproule:  24 kicks, 7 handballs, 0 marks

Kevin Bartlett:  33 kicks, 3 handballs, 4 marks

Craig McKellar (19^th man):  1 kick, 0 handballs, 0 marks

Roger Dean (20^th man):  1 kick, 0 handballs, 0 marks