RICHMOND - Part One
Affiliated: VFA 1885-1907; VFL 1908-1989; AFL 1990-present
Club Address: Punt Road, Richmond 3121
Postal Address: P.O. Box 48, Richmond 3121
Home Ground: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Formed: 1885
Colours: Black and yellow
Emblem: Tigers
Premierships: SENIORS - 1902, 1905, 1920-21, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1967, 1969, 1973-74, 1980 (12 total) RESERVES - 1929, 1946, 1954-55, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1997 (9 total) UNDER 19S - 1958, 1967-8-9-70, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1989 (11 total) OTHER PREMIERSHIPS - Championship of Australia 1969, 1973-74 (3 total); VFL/AFL Night Series 1962 (1 total); Dr. Wm. C. McClelland Trophy 1967, 1972-73-74-75, 1977, 1982 (7 total)
Brownlow Medallists: Stan Judkins 1930; W. ‘Bill’ Morris 1948; Roy Wright 1952 & 1954; Ian Stewart 1971 (4 Medallists/5 Medals)
Norm Smith Medallists: Kevin Bartlett 1980; Maurice Rioli 1982 (2 total)
Tassie Medallists: Dale Weightman 1985 (1 total)
All Australians: D.Rowe 1956; R.Wright 1956; N.Crowe 1966; R.Hart 1969; D.Cloke 1979; B.Monteath 1979; M.Roach 1979; J.Jess 1980; M.Lee 1980, 1983 & 1985; G.Raines 1980; M.Rioli 1983 & 1986; D.Weightman 1985, 1986 & 1988 (17 total)
AFL All Australians: Wayne Campbell 1995 & 1999; Matthew Knights 1998; Matthew Richardson 1999 & 2008; Darren Gaspar 2000 & 2001; Andrew Kelleway 2000; Brad Ottens 2001; Joel Bowden 2005 & 2006 (11 total)
V/AFL Top Goalkickers: G.Bayliss (63) 1920; J.Titus (100) 1940; R.Harris (63) 1943; M.Roach (112) 1980 & (86) 1981 (5 total)
Richmond's Official 'Team of the Century': Click here
Highest Score: 34.18 (222) vs. St Kilda 11.4 (70) at the SCG in round 16 1980
Most Games: 403 by Kevin Bartlett from 1965 to 1983
Record Home Attendances: 1. MCG - 91,936 in round 4 1977; Collingwood 17.24 (126); Richmond 14.16 (100) 2. Punt Road - 46,000 in round 9 1949: Carlton 14.15 (99); Richmond 12.12 (84)
Record Finals Attendance: 119,165 for the 1969 grand final at the MCG: Richmond 12.13 (85); Carlton 8.12 (60)
Overall Success Rate 1908-2009: 51.0%
Jack Dyer shakes hands with opposing captain Fred Hughson before the commencement of a Fitzroy-Richmond game.
As a youngster growing up in the 1920s, Jack Dyer's greatest ambition was to play VFL football for Richmond. Despite the fact that "it was just as hard to get an invitation to train as it was to get into the senior team" (see footnote 1), such an aspiration was by no means as unrealistic as it would be today, when a young player's football destiny is typically determined by the AFL draft, irrespective of where he happens to live, or what he happens to want.
For Jack Dyer, playing football for Richmond was simply a logical extension and expression of who he was, and it is at least arguable that few if any players before or since have personified, not to mention helped mould, shape and develop, the essential character of a specific football club to the extent that he did. Players drafted by Richmond in the twenty-first century will, for the most part, arrive at the club unburdened by expectation, pre-conception or any intrinsic sense of belonging, and for most of them, any loyalty they develop must needs be tenuous and transitory. Not so for Dyer and his contemporaries, whose desire to play football at the highest level was inextricably linked to an overwhelming sense of tribal identity, of being a Tiger, a Magpie, a Blue or a Don. In a very real sense, every time Jack Dyer ran out onto the football field in the famous black and yellow he was at once affirming his identity and defending the honour, integrity and reputation of his 'tribe'. Is there any wonder then, that the man indelibly labelled for posterity as 'Captain Blood' played the game with such fanatical ardour, ferocity and determination?
One of the best descriptions of Dyer was proffered by Norm Smith, the legendary Melbourne and Fitzroy player and coach. The reason the description is so apposite and telling is that, in detailing Dyer's attributes, qualities and characteristics, Smith could almost be summarising the entire Richmond 'eat 'em alive' ethos itself. In 1965, sixteen years after Jack Dyer had retired from VFL football, Smith wrote that he (Dyer):
| .....was one of the three greatest
footballers the game has produced, probably the greatest. I feel that he
would undoubtedly have stamped himself as the most brilliant footballer in the
game had he played as an individual rather than for his team. It has
always been Richmond first, Dyer last, with Captain Blood. He was a
breath-taking footballer, a strong attacking player with amazing pace and
stamina. His dedication made him one of the most accurate kicks in the
game. His marking was as brilliant and consistent as any I have seen.
As a ruckman he was without peer, he put the ball to his rover with uncanny accuracy. For a big man his handling of the ball was a treat. If I were picking a side from the greatest players the game has produced, Jack Dyer would be the first picked. (See footnote 2) Jack Dyer made his VFL debut as a raw sixteen year old in 1931, the year that the VFL introduced the Page-McIntyre system of playing finals. Despite playing only 6 games - including the losing grand final against Geelong - in his debut season, Dyer "showed so much class and devil......that the critics raved" (see footnote 3). His rapid blossoming as a bona fide champion would coincide with Richmond's emergence as one of the teams of the thirties, although as chance would have it, when the Tigers first broke through for a flag - their third in the VFL, and fifth in total - in 1932, Dyer, who had suffered an injury-interrupted season, but who had nevertheless displayed enough of his nascent talent to eventually be awarded the first of his seven Tiger club champion trophies, was absent. |
Richmond's all time leading aggregate goal kicker, Jack 'Skinny' Titus, who booted 970 goals for the Tigers in 294 games between 1926 and 1943. |
Coached by Frank 'Checker' Hughes, Richmond in 1932 played a vigorous, hard bumping, defensive style of football which was in marked contrast to the free-flowing, attacking approach of many rival clubs, notably reigning premier Geelong, and heir apparent - at least as far as most so-called experts were concerned - Carlton. The Blues it was who topped the ladder going into the finals, half a win clear of Richmond, and for much of the 2nd semi final they appeared to have too much class for the Tigers. Richmond, however, has always been known for its fighting qualities, and these were admirably displayed during "a tumultuous last quarter burst.....which won the game" (see footnote 4). The Tigers not only won 'pulling away', they demonstrated a hitherto unsuspected ability to modify their game plan, casting aside their usual defensive propensities when it was clear that these were proving unsuccessful, and flooding forward in numbers to overwhelm the hapless Blues. Despite this setback, however, Carlton remained a firm premiership favourite with most critics, particularly after its spectacular 75 point demolition of Collingwood in the preliminary final.
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Perc Bentley - click to enlarge. |
Richmond tried desperately to nurse its wounded starlet
Jack Dyer back to fitness in the week leading up to the grand final, but to no
avail. For coach 'Checker' Hughes, who had been appointed in 1927, this
was the fifth premiership play-off to which he had steered the Tigers in six
seasons, but he was still seeking a win. A then record crowd of 69,724
turned up at the MCG for the big match, and they were not to be disappointed.
After winning the toss, Richmond captain Percy Bentley surprised observers by electing to kick into the breeze, but whether by luck or good judgement it proved a telling move. With the Strang brothers, Gordon at centre half forward, and Doug at the goal front, dominating in the air just as they had done a fortnight earlier, the Tigers shaded the opening quarter to eke out a one goal advantage, and by half time they had extended this to 15 points. On the debit side, however, Carlton's free scoring full forward, Harry 'Soapy' Vallence, who had booted 11.9 in the preliminary final against Collingwood, had begun to look dangerous, and by half time he had been responsible for 3 of the Blues' 5 goals. The third term was vigorous almost to the point of viciousness, with the Blues' centreline getting on top, only for the hard-hitting Richmond backline to repeatedly repel their attempted incursions. As the three quarter time bell rang with the Tigers ahead by 7 points the spite with which play had been laced for most of the term erupted into full blown violence, with umpire Scott having a full time job identifying and noting the names of the worst miscreants. Eventually, affairs calmed down, but the huge crowd was at fever pitch waiting for the start of the decisive final stanza. |
The early stages of the last quarter saw the Blues playing their best football of the afternoon to rattle on 3 quick goals and open up a 10 point lead. Several of the Richmond players seemed to have lost a yard or two in pace, and for many of the club's diehard supporters it must have seemed a case of "oh no, here we go again". Then, in the Tigers' first purposeful move of the term, "a chain of passes was topped off by O'Halloran goaling" (see footnote 5), and suddenly it was 'game on' once more. The final 15 minutes or so of the term saw the teams trading goal for goal, but towards the death, almost miraculously, it was the men in the yellow and black jumpers who had the greater spring in their step. At the onset of time-on, with Carlton leading by 4 points, the ball came off hands near the Richmond goal square, and Jack Anderson, the Tigers' nineteenth man, snatched it up and goaled. Moments later, half forward flanker Jack 'Skinny' Titus added the sealer, and Richmond had won "a virile and grimly fought grand final" (see footnote 6) by 9 points.
| In what had been an even, all round team display - evoking
the best traditions of the club - Richmond had been particularly well served by
strong marking centre half forward Gordon Strang, tenacious half back flanker
Basil McCormack, dashing back pocket Kevin O'Neill, and the supremely versatile
Jack Baggott, who lined up on this occasion on a half back flank.
With a fit and keen Jack Dyer back in harness in 1933 Richmond supporters could feel justified in anticipating another stellar season, but ultimately it was the loss of coach 'Checker' Hughes, who accepted what was reputed to be quite a lucrative offer to coach Melbourne, that was to have a greater bearing on the Tigers' fortunes. On its day, the side was still indisputably a force to be reckoned with, but new coach Billy Schmidt, a former centreman with the club in both its later VFA, and early VFL years, as well as with St Kilda, lacked his predecessor's inspirational qualities and tactical acumen, and when the pressure was on during the finals against South Melbourne's formidable 'foreign legion' ensemble he signally failed to come up with the goods. Richmond lost the 2nd semi final to the Bloods by 3 goals after leading by more than 6 at half time, and a fortnight later the team sustained arguably its most humiliating grand final defeat ever, troubling the scorers just 9 times all match en route to an in truth rather flattering 42 point loss. |
Kevin O'Neill - click to enlarge. |
The Richmond hierarchy, believing Schmidt had had the players at his disposal to secure the club's second successive premiership, promptly replaced him with Percy Bentley at season's end. Bentley, a tactically astute and immensely powerful ruckman, had played for the Tigers since 1925, and had been captain for the past two seasons. He had the respect of the players (see footnote 7), and as 'Checker' Hughes' close ally and confidante in 1932, possessed first hand insight into the what was needed if a VFL club was to go 'all the way'. He promptly put this knowledge to use in 1934 when he piloted the club to pole position on the ladder going into the finals, with his inspirational leadership qualities proving particularly decisive in crunch encounters with eventual fellow finalists South Melbourne and Collingwood late in the season.
The 2nd semi final between Richmond and Geelong was expected to be close. Both sides had finished the season strongly, although the Cats, having already secured the double chance, had dropped the final game of the season to South Melbourne. In the only meeting between the sides during the minor round, Geelong had triumphed by 22 points in a low scoring, slogging affair in the Corio Oval mud. The MCG on 29 September, however, was a totally mud-free zone, and after a hard fought first two quarters the Richmond players did more or less as they pleased, adding 14 second half goals to two to win with embarrassing ease by 84 points. The Tigers' final tally of 19.20 (134) established a new record high for a finals match. Bruised, battered and humiliated, the Cats failed to recover in time for their preliminary final meeting with South Melbourne, and they were again comprehensively outplayed, leaving the 'Team of Champions' (South) to play of with the 'Champion Team' (Richmond) for the flag for the second successive season. The fact that 1934 was the city of Melbourne's official centenary year gave added prestige to the premiership, with members of the victorious team to be awarded special centenary medallions.
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Jack Baggott - click to enlarge |
A crowd of 65,335 spectators basked in bright spring sunshine on grand final day as first Richmond, and then the Bloods, played spectacular attacking football which highlighted all the best aspects of the code. The Tigers led by 3 points at the first change, but with South having finished the opening term the stronger the game was on a proverbial knife edge, a state of affairs which continued until late in the second quarter when Jack Titus, Richmond's light weight and elusive full forward, broke free from Jack Austin on three occasions to snare vital goals. At half time, the Tigers led 10.8 (68) to 6.5 (41), and after they added a flurry of early goals in the third term the match was as good as over. Richmond led by 10 goals at three quarter time, and despite easing off towards the end of the game, emerged with a comprehensive, and thoroughly deserved, 39 point win. Titus with 6 goals was best afield, while the entire back six - Kevin O'Neill, Maurie Sheahan, Martin Bolger (the so-called 'Three Musketeers'), Jack Baggott, Gordon Strang and Basil McCormack - were virtually impassable until it no longer mattered. The fact that the Tigers won so comfortably with minimal input from Jack Dyer says much about the strength of their combination at this time. |
Richmond at this time was the greatest crowd puller in Australian football, but for the remainder of the 1930s, still under Perc Bentley as captain-coach, the side only occasionally threatened a return to greatness. In Bentley's last season, 1940, the Tigers at last made a return to grand final action, but Checker Hughes' Melbourne proved too strong, as did Essendon a couple of seasons later when 'Captain Blood' was at the helm.
The 'Captain Blood' label was first applied to Jack Dyer in 1935, after a frenetic and hard fought game against Fitzroy during which he pole axed three opponents.
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After the game, 'The Age' football writer John Ludlow followed Dyer into the rooms. "Golly, Jack," said Ludlow, "I haven't seen bodies piled up like that since I saw Errol Flynn in that 'Captain Blood' movie." Monday's 'Herald' carried a cartoon of Dyer dressed as a pirate, a skull and crossbones on his cap, and a cutlass between his teeth. The name stuck. Dyer didn't like it, but grew into it. Opposition fans loathed and abused him. Tiger supporters worshipped him. (See footnote 8) As a playing coach, Dyer was very much in the Perc Bentley mould, leading from the front. His greatest moment came in 1943, when he oversaw a memorable grand final triumph over an Essendon side that had earlier defeated the Tigers in the 2nd semi final with some comfort. Richmond was also in trouble in the preliminary final against Fitzroy, which led 5.1 to 2.3 at quarter time, and 6.5 to 3.8 at half time, before a steam-rolling second half display from the Tigers saw them add 9 goals to 2 to win with deceptive ease. |
Richard Harris |
With the MCG being used as a service camp, the 1943 grand final took place at Carlton's home ground of Princes Park in front of a crowd of just 42,100, the lowest since 1927, when freezing winds and incessant heavy rain had reduced the attendance for the Collingwood-Richmond play-off to just 34,551. Whereas two weeks earlier Essendon had dominated the opening exchanges, this time it was the Tigers' turn to explode out of the blocks, and within minutes of the first bounce they led 3.2 to nil. Thereafter though the Dons fought back, and for the first three quarters it was blow for blow, kick for kick, and goal for goal. By three quarter time Essendon, which had begun to look ominously steadier than the Tigers, had inched in front by 5 points, 8.13 (61) to 8.8 (56). However, Richmond was "a dogged, forceful side, which ground down lighter opponents by playing it hard" (see footnote 9), and with Jack Dyer putting in a Herculean effort on the ball, and permanent forward pocket Richard Harris playing the game of his life, booting 7 majors for the match, the Tigers surged to a 4 goal lead which looked to have made the game safe. The Same Old, however, fought back, and as Richmond players made uncharacteristic errors under pressure, they capitalised to the tune of 3 unanswered goals to reduce the margin to a single straight kick. Then, with time running out, Essendon follower Norm Betson's seemingly goal-bound shot was touched on the line, and with the final bell sounding moments later, the Tigers were home by 5 points. Amidst scenes of euphoria, Jack Dyer was chaired from the arena, and the celebrations could begin - celebrations which would not be repeated for more than a quarter of a century.
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Footnotes
1. Captain Blood by Jack Dyer and Brian Hansen, page 26. Return to Main Text
2. Ibid., pages 11-12. Return to Main Text
3. Tigerland by Brian Hansen, page 54. Return to Main Text
4. The Complete Book Of VFL Finals by Graeme Atkinson, page 100. Return to Main Text
5. Ibid., page 101. Return to Main Text
6. Let's Look at Football by Hugh Buggy, page 29. Return to Main Text
7. This was demonstrated when the players, who had the right to select their captain, overwhelmingly voted for Bentley to continue in that role. Return to Main Text
8. The Clubs by Garrie Hutchinson and John Ross, page 304. Return to Main Text
9. Buggy, op cit., page 40. Return to Main Text