Richmond’s 43-point victory over Sydney in last Sunday’s Round 21 clash at the MCG was its biggest win against the Swans for more than two decades.

You have to go all the way back to Round 9 of the 1990 season (Sunday, May 27) to find the last time the Tigers defeated Sydney by more.

On that day, a 35-year-old veteran, in his 299th game of league football, provided the inspiration for a crushing 79-point Richmond win.

David Cloke produced a dominant ruck display, gathering 18 kicks, firing out nine handballs, clunking 13 marks, having 14 hit-outs, kicking a goal, and subsequently receiving the three Brownlow Medal votes for his efforts.

Barry Young, with 32 possessions and a goal, polled two Brownlow votes, and Tim Powell completed the Tiger Medal trifecta, grabbing the one vote, for his 26-possession performance.

David Honybun and Stephen Ryan shared Richmond’s goalkicking honors on the day with four apiece, while a then teenage Matty Knights, in just his third season of league football, kicked three goals, as did Greg Hamilton.

As a further indication of just how long ago that was, two of the Tigers’ 1980 premiership heroes were members of the team - Mark Lee and Dale Weightman.  ‘The General’ was playing his 218th game, while it was game number 225 for ‘Flea’.

Richmond’s current CEO, Brendon Gale, was making only his ninth senior league appearance, while the Club’s now Football Director, Tony Free, racked up 30 possessions in his 48th game.

Anthony ‘Macca’ Banik was a 17-year-old, playing his seventh game, while the coach back then was Tiger ‘Immortal’ Kevin Bartlett.

Richmond had lost nine of its previous 10 matches against the Sydney Swans before last Sunday’s emphatic turnaround.

Interestingly, only one side has beaten the Swans by a bigger margin this season - Hawthorn scored a 46-point win against them in their Round 9 clash at the SCG.
Richmond’s score of 14.15 (99) was the fourth highest kicked against Sydney in 2011, while the Swans 7.14 (56) was the lowest score against the Tigers this season.
   
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