In the compressed AFL fixture over the course of the next three weeks, Richmond will play four games, one of them off a four-day turnaround and another a five-day turnaround.
That, however, pales by comparison to what the Tigers had to cope with in 1889, when they were part of the Victorian Football Association competition.
Research provided by Club historian Rhett Bartlett has revealed the least number of days between matches for Richmond, in its entire history, occurred that season.
On Friday, May 24, which was the Queen’s Birthday holiday, the Tigers played Melbourne in an 11am fixture at Punt Road. The match finished in a draw with both teams scoring two goals (Richmond kicked one more point than Melbourne, but although behinds were recorded, they were not counted in the final score).
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The next day, Saturday, May 25, Richmond, with five changes to its line-up, took on Fitzroy at Brunswick Street.
It was a scheduled 3pm start, but there ended up being quite a delay and the match, which the Tigers won (5.2 to 2.8), finished in the dark.
Apart from that record one-day break between games, Richmond has had 14 two-day breaks, the last one being in the 1928 VFL season.
The Tigers defeated Geelong by three points at Punt Road in Round 7 on Saturday, June 2 – 12.21 (93) to 13.12 (90) – with Jack Baggott kicking six goals.
Interestingly, Richmond’s inaugural Brownlow Medallist Stan Judkins made his senior league debut that day.
Then, in Round 8 of the 1928 season on Monday, June 4, Baggott led the way for the Tigers again, booting four goals in their five-point victory over Fitzroy at Brunswick Street – 19.6 (120) to 17.13 (115).
Here, courtesy of Rhett Bartlett, is the full list of one and two-day breaks between Richmond matches . . .
One-day break:
1889: Round 3, May 24 v Melbourne, Punt Road (draw) – Round 4, May 25 v Fitzroy, Brunswick Street (win).
Two-day breaks
1888: Round 4, May 24 v Ballarat, Ballarat City Oval (draw) – Round 5, May 26 v South Melbourne at Lake Oval (loss).
1891: Round 4, May 23 v Fitzroy, Punt Road (loss) – Round 5, May 25 v Melbourne, Punt Road (loss).
1894: Round 4, May 24 v Port Melbourne, Punt Road (loss) – Round 5, May 26 v Melbourne, Punt Road (loss).
1897: Round 4, May 22 v Williamstown, Richmond City Reserve (draw) – Round 5, May 24 v North Melbourne, East Melbourne Cricket Ground (loss).
1900: Round 4, May 24 v Brunswick at Brunswick (win) – Round 5, May 26 v Prahran, Punt Road (win).
1908: Round 6, June 6 v Collingwood, Victoria Park (loss) – Round 7, June 8 v South Melbourne, Punt Road (loss).
1909: Round 6, June 5 v South Melbourne, Punt Road (win) – Round 7, June 7 v Carlton, Princes Park (loss).
1910: Round 5, June 4 v Geelong, Corio Oval (loss) – Round 6, June 6 v St Kilda, Junction Oval (win).
1911: Round 6, June 3 v South Melbourne, Punt Road (win) – Round 7, June 5 v Melbourne, MCG (win).
1912: Round 6, June 1 v Essendon, Punt Road (loss) – Round 7, June 3 v Carlton, Punt Road (loss).
1913: Round 7, June 7 v Carlton, Punt Road (loss) – Round 8, June 9 v Melbourne, Punt Road (win).
1914: Round 7, June 6 v South Melbourne, Punt Road (loss) – Round 8, June 8 v Melbourne, Punt Road (win).
1926: Round 6, June 5 v Geelong, Punt Road (loss) – Round 7, June 7 v North Melbourne, Arden Street (win).
1928: Round 7, June 2 v Geelong, Punt Road (win) – Round 8, June 4 v Fitzroy, Brunswick Street (win).
