To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1969 premiership, richmondfc.com.au is transporting Yellow and Black barrackers back in time throughout 2019 to follow the Punt Road path to that fabulous flag triumph. Today, we take a look at Footy Week’s review of the Tigers’ Round 3 match in the ’69 season against North Melbourne, which took place at the MCG on Saturday, April 19, 1969. Here’s how Footy Week scribe Mike Donnelly reported Richmond’s five-point loss under the heading: “SHINBONERS HAVE ARRIVED”. . .
“North Melbourne won only three games last season. On Saturday they won their third in as many starts. Are North a really good side? You bet they are!
The Shinboners, or Kangaroos as they like to call themselves, are second to Carlton on the premiership list. They deserved their five-point win over Richmond.
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True, Richmond had the shots and had their forwards been on target they would have taken the four premiership points. But they weren’t – so that’s all that can be said.
Jeff Crouch came in for sharp criticism from Richmond supporters. Crouch didn’t have one of his best days, but the Tiger supporters’ howls were brought about more by their disappointment with their team than by the umpire’s decisions.
Richmond played badly – nobody can deny that. Instead of driving the ball with 60-yard kicks like most of them can do, they persisted with handball – and their handball was bad.
The Tigers were obviously overconfident. They “killed” North in the air in the early stages. The likes of Mike Green, Francis Bourke, Rex Hunt and Royce Hart make marking look easy.
But North struck back. They kept the ball out of the air and when they went in, they went in hard. They took the Tigers by surprise and gained control.
North’s confidence grew as the match progressed and they started to match the Tigers in the air.
Richmond staged a do-or-die effort in the last quarter, but everything they threw at North came right back at them.
Star of the match was North follower Kekovich. He was in everything. One minute he was clearing the ball from the backline, next he was contesting hit-outs, then he was running riot in North’s forward line. He kicked six goals.
Peter Steward was in grand form at full-back and although he had five goals kicked against him, he had the better of Rex Hunt.
Flanker Mike Redenbach played strongly on North’s half-back line. Eric Moore gave him anxious moments in the first term, but Redenbach gained control.
Garry Farrant and Royce Hart had a great tussle. The Richmond centre half-forward figured in many brilliant passages of play and had the better of the tussle, but Farrant was far from disgraced.
Another great duel was the one between Bill Barrot and John Dugdale in the centre. Both had a feast of kicks. The North skipper was very steady under pressure and was the more constructive player on the day.
Richmond skipper Roger Dean had a bad day on a half-back flank – an unusual thing for him. Maurie Wood got on top of Dean and kicked three goals.
Richmond had few good players in defence. Their backline certainly needs a reshuffle.
By far the best Tiger defender was Kevin Sheedy in a back pocket.
Not far behind Sheedy for Richmond’s best was Dick Clay, a consistent ball-getter on his wing.
Despite Richmond’s height advantage, there was little in the ruck duels. Richmond’s Kevin Bartlett was by far the best of the rovers.”
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Match details
Richmond 2.7 5.17 8.19 13.28 (106)
North Melb. 4.4 8.7 14.11 16.15 (111)
Goals – Richmond: Hunt 5, Davenport 2, Bartlett 2, Smythe, Green, Clay, Barrot. North Melbourne: Kekovich 6, Wood 3, Dugdale 2, Dowdle 2, D. Farrant, Howell, McCarthy.
Best – Richmond: Sheedy, Clay, Bartlett, Barrot, Green, Hart, Jewell. North Melbourne: Kekovich, Steward, Wood, Redenbach, Dugdale, Johnston, G. Farrant.
Crowd: 26,884 at MCG
Richmond player statistics
Kevin Sheedy: 18 kicks, 2 handballs, 4 marks
Barry Richardson: 6 kicks, 1 handball, 4 marks
John Ronaldson: 8 kicks, 3 handballs, 3 marks
Des McKenzie: 7 kicks, 4 handballs, 1 mark
Ed Murphy: 14 kicks, 2 handballs, 4 marks
Roger Dean: 15 kicks, 1 handball, 3 marks
Dick Clay: 21 kicks, 2 handballs, 8 marks
Bill Barrot: 29 kicks, 4 handballs, 5 marks
Francis Bourke (off): 2 kicks, 2 handballs, 2 marks
Don Davenport: 13 kicks, 3 handballs, 5 marks
Royce Hart: 17 kicks, 9 handballs, 11 marks
Eric Moore (off): 8 kicks, 0 handballs, 2 marks
George McInnes: 4 kicks, 1 handball, 1 mark
Rex Hunt: 13 kicks, 1 handball, 10 marks
Billy Brown: 13 kicks, 5 handballs, 1 mark
Michael Green: 8 kicks, 6 handballs, 11 marks
Tony Jewell: 10 kicks, 5 handballs, 7 marks
Kevin Bartlett: 25 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks
Ray Ball (19th man): 1 kick, 1 handball, 0 marks
Keith Smythe (20th man): 16 kicks, 0 handballs, 3 marks
