Flag bearers with a connection to at least one of Richmond's 13 league premierships will take part in a pre-match ceremony prior to the 2021 season-opener against Carlton on Thursday night. Current and former players, officials, or family members, will complete a lap of the MCG before the unfurling of the 2019 and 2020 premiership flags. We encourage fans to be in their seats by 6.45pm for the official proceedings.

Premiership Year, Player/Official and Flag Bearer

1920 – Bill James (represented by Jan Hodge, granddaughter)

In Richmond’s history books, Bill James simply appears out of thin air, then disappears. The reality was that he was a noted wingman for Victorian country club Kyabram throughout its 1920 season. The first the Richmond supporters ever saw of James was when he attended the Thursday training session in the week leading up to the 1920 Grand Final against Collingwood. This was to be his only game for Richmond, and he kicked the last goal of the Grand Final to seal the Tigers’ first VFL premiership. He subsequently returned to Kyabram and played there until 1924.

1921 – Dan Minogue (represented by Dan Minogue, grandson)

Dan Minogue was the first captain of back-to-back Richmond premiership sides. In 1921, Richmond and Carlton were the two best sides of the season, but the Blues had defeated the Tigers in both home-and-away encounters. Minogue adapted his team’s tactics for the finals series, introducing a faster, low-passing style of football to combat Carlton’s aerial supremacy. It worked a treat with Richmond overcoming the Blues (and a violent hailstorm) in their first final meeting, and a week later securing a nail-biting four-point win to capture a second successive premiership.

1932 – Barney Herbert (represented by Michael Herbert, grandson)

By the 1932 season, Barney Herbert already had two premierships under his belt with Richmond as a champion ruckman. He became the first former player to assume the Club’s presidency (only Barry Richardson and Neville Crowe complete that list), a role that he held for four seasons, overseeing two premierships. The first was the 1932 flag, where the Tigers broke a Grand Final hoodoo – having lost four of their previous five Grand Finals. Richmond defeated arch-rival Carlton by nine points, with the much-admired and passionate Tiger man, Herbert, wearing his 1921 premiership guernsey and cap that day. Richmond would then go on to win the 1934 flag under Herbert’s presidency.

1934 – Maurie Sheahan (represented by John Sheahan, son)

Maurie Sheahan was part of the most famous playing line in the Club’s history – Bolger, Sheahan, O’Neill – the Tigerland backline dubbed “The Three Musketeers.” A no-nonsense, unassuming full-back, with canny judgement to spoil opponents’ marking attempts, Sheahan was the most effective full-back in the competition in 1934, having fewer goals kicked on him than any other defender. In the 1934 Grand Final, he lined up on legendary South Melbourne full-forward Bob Pratt and restricted him to just two goals. Such was Sheahan’s performance that day, the crowd ironically cheered Pratt when he finally marked in a contest.

1943 – Jack Dyer (represented by Samantha Houghton, granddaughter of Jack, and daughter of Jack Dyer Jnr)

Revered Richmond ‘Immortal’ Jack Dyer’s greatest football achievement came in 1943, when, as captain-coach, he led the club he loved so dearly to the premiership. Dyer’s shrewd leadership that day was a crucial factor in the Tigers’ five-point win. His move of tough, tenacious small defender Max Oppy onto champion Essendon rover Dick Reynolds proved to be a match winner. During the game, when Essendon’s defenders were starting to get the edge over the Tiger forwards, ‘Captain Blood’ moved himself to the forward line, and subsequently kicked three goals. Then, when Richmond back pocket Jack Scott was injured, Dyer shifted into defence. In the closing stages of the tight, tense premiership-decider, he positioned himself in the centre of the ground to thwart Essendon’s last-ditch attacks. 

1967 – Fred Swift (represented by Lyn Swift, daughter)

Fred Swift ended his 146-game career at Richmond as a mighty proud captain, holding aloft the drought-breaking 1967 premiership cup. He arrived at Tigerland as a forward in 1958, but by the time of the ‘67 Grand Final, he was the team’s ever-reliable full-back. In that premiership-decider against Geelong, he nullified the impact of the Cats’ star spearhead Doug Wade, who stood 11cm taller than him and was 14kg heavier. In the famous last quarter of the classic Grand Final encounter, Swift continually repelled Geelong’s forward thrusts, and in his most indelible moment, marked the ball right on the goal line in the dying seconds to deny the Cats a goal.

1969 – Graeme Richmond (represented by Jan Richmond, wife)

Graeme Richmond filled a variety of key off-field roles at Tigerland over more than 30 years of devoted service. He was a shrewd, ruthless administrator, who never wasted an opportunity that could benefit his beloved Tigers. Richmond’s strength lay in his relentless persuasiveness – he was a masterly recruiter and negotiator. And, as a speaker, arguably there have been none finer in AFL/VFL history. GR, as he was commonly called, officially held the title of treasurer at Richmond in the 1969 premiership year. As always, however, his influence extended way beyond the Club’s finances. Was named Richmond’s Servant of the Century during the Tigers’ 2008 League football centenary celebrations.

1973 – Francis Bourke (represented by David Bourke, son)

Richmond ‘Immortal’ Francis Bourke was a pivotal member of five premiership sides throughout his magnificent playing career at Tigerland. Following Richmond’s shock 1972 Grand Final loss to Carlton, when the Blues kicked 28 goals, Bourke was shifted from the wing role, where he had thrived, to half-back, in a bid to bolster the team’s defence. He responded in typically dedicated, determined, style. And, despite a severe late-season knee injury that restricted his movements, Bourke played a crucial role for the Tigers in their 1973 Grand Final triumph, negating Carlton superstar Alex Jesaulenko, while managing to pick up 17 disposals himself.

1974 – Michael Green (representing himself)

After retiring from league football at the end of the 1971 season, as a then dual Richmond premiership player, at just 23 years of age, Michael Green made a highly-successful comeback with the Tigers in 1973. The star ruckman was one of the Tigers’ best players in their decisive ’73 Grand Final victory over Carlton. One year later, with Richmond striving for back-to-back flags, when it met North Melbourne in the 1974 premiership-decider, Green again was a key contributor for the team. He had 12 disposals, took six marks, and kicked two crucial goals in the Tigers’ convincing 41-point win, including one right on the goal-line during the second quarter, courtesy of a clever handpass from teammate Kevin Sheedy, that turned the tide of the match.

1980 – Dale Weightman (representing himself)

Dale Weightman was Richmond’s second-youngest player in its 1980 Grand Final annihilation of Collingwood. Despite being just 20 years and 360 days old on that last Saturday in September ’80, and with just over 50 games of league football experience under his belt, the silky-skilled, creative, courageous Weightman was far from over-awed on the biggest stage of them all. He had 20 touches in the Tigers’ thumping 81-point Grand Final victory and kicked the first goal of the match. ‘The Flea’, as he was affectionately known as, had well and truly established himself as Richmond’s No. 1 rover in the 1980 premiership year. He averaged 23.3 disposals per match that season and set up numerous goals for teammates through his elite handball. 

2017 – Bachar Houli (representing himself)

Bachar Houli had an excellent 2017 finals series for Richmond, culminating in a superb Grand Final display against Adelaide. The dashing defender had 25 disposals, seven intercepts, four rebound-50s, five tackles, 694 metres gained, took 11 marks, and kicked a goal in the Tigers’ drought-breaking 48-point victory over the Crows. Houli, with his hard running and precision kicking, played a crucial role in that glorious triumph. He finished runner-up to teammate Dustin Martin in the Norm Smith Medal that day, but subsequently was adjudged best afield by both coaches (Damien Hardwick and Don Pyke), scoring a perfect 10 votes in the Gary Ayres award. Houli is also representing the current players who will play Carlton in the season-opener.

2019 – Marlion Pickett (represented by Marlion Jnr and Latrell Pickett, sons)

Marlion Pickett’s place in AFL football folklore was etched even before the 2019 premiership-decider, when Richmond made him the competition’s first Grand Final debutant since 1952, and the first Tigers player since Bill James in 1920. Even if Pickett had gone without a disposal in the Tigers’ Grand Final demolition of Greater Western Sydney, his football fairy tale would have been extraordinary. The fact that he was brilliant on the day added to the legend. He had 22 disposals, nine score involvements, eight inside-50s, 559 metres gained, produced a spectacular blind turn, and kicked a goal that sent his teammates, and the Tiger Army, into raptures. To underline just how impressive Pickett’s first-up performance at the game’s highest level was, he finished fourth in the Norm Smith Medal voting.

2020 – Neil Balme (representing himself)

Richmond’s 2020 premiership was the fifth Neil Balme had been involved with at the Club. Balme had been a key figure in the Tigers’ back-to-back flag triumphs of 1973-74, playing as an aggressive, tough, highly-skilled forward/ruckman. His return to Richmond as the General Manager of Football at the end of the 2016 season was an important ingredient in the Tigers’ resurgence, which saw them break a 37-year premiership drought in 2017 and win another flag in 2019. Although Balme’s off-field position changed in 2020, and he didn’t go into the Gold Coast hub, he still played a valuable role back in Melbourne as the Club’s senior adviser through his vast football knowledge, experience and wisdom. Balme is also representing those from Victoria who could not attend last year's Grand Final in Brisbane.