Tigers dark days of early 90s make recent success sweeterMark Butler
Herald-Sun
September 1, 2018YOU’VE got to know bad times to really appreciate good times.
And there was a period long ago when Richmond’s promised land of today might as well have been in another galaxy.
The Tiger dark age of the late 80s to early 90s had some high points but there were plenty of days when we looked destined to be anchored near the bottom forever.
Back then, you could still arrive early and watch the reserves, perhaps muttering to a mate about how Ty Esler might just be the answer in the ruck, or whether the Slater boys might make it (no on all counts).
The forward pressure we now love was still decades away.
Kevin Bartlett endured a torrid time as Richmond coach.It was a time when run and spread might have referred to fans leaving early to get out of the MCG car park as the deficit ballooned.
It was long before the unimaginable success of today, an era of 10-goal beatings, narrow losses after squandering healthy leads and double-figure goal tallies for opposition spearheads.
If KB wasn’t already bald, he would have been by the time Allan Jeans stepped in.
Bad losses — not always accepted with good humour — were so frequent that a lot seem to morph into one.
But some just can’t be blocked out, like Bomber Thompson slotting a last second set shot goal to sink us with the demolished Southern Stand in the background back in 1990.
President Neville Crowe and coach Kevin Bartlett announce the club has a recorded a $1.4m loss in 1987.
Carlton’s Ron De Iulio gives Todd Breman the short shrift. Picture: Jack Attley
Bartlett and Craig Lambert trudge from the MCG.How about the infuriating Karl Langdon putting a late one through, straight over the Punt Rd end supporters’ heads, to wrench away a match we’d fought so hard to win?
Anyone remember the day Jason Dunstall booted 17 and beat almost as many opponents at Waverley?
Tiger fans turned up for round one of 1993 full of hope after we’d made the night grand final, only to see pretty boy Tony Modra boot 10 as the Crows sent us back to reality.
“Bury ‘em Tiges,” shouted one clown as the margin soared.
Bad Friday night beating not enough? How about being made a crime victim, as well?
This fan got way too many beers in as we were towelled up by North in round two, 1990, and left the Subaru at the ground to stay at a friend’s place.
What else could go wrong after watching young Johnny Longmire boot 12?
How about the car not being there the next morning, later found wrecked in Lennox St?
Tony Modra pricked Richmond’s 1993 bubble. Picture: Pip Blackwood
Jason Dunstall handed Richmond one of it’s darkest days in the 90s.Jammed into this era was the threat of extinction.
The club was — just a decade after the 1980 triumph — confronting massive debt.
It was ultimately saved by the passion of its supporters and the efforts of former legends but the situation provided a huge scare.
But, it must be said, we were never as bad as the Carlton of today and there were days to be savoured.
The shock of the 1991 Mother’s Day massacre, in which we destroyed the reigning premier, Collingwood, won’t be forgotten by those lucky enough to have been there.
Hoggy kicked 10 as our boys trampled the Pies into the MCG turf.
Beating Carlton makes any season worthwhile, which is what we did in a last round shootout in 1991.
Clokey booted eight, KB later remarking that it was with eight different kicks.
Who could forget the night the Tiger Army descended on Waverley to see Todd Menegola put us into the 1993 night grand final.
There were individuals who always helped us salvage something from a dark day.
[img]https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/f9010497e935af13bbe2482a3bdbe3f8[/img]
Tony Free was a bright spot in dark days, but plagued by injuries.Big-hearted Andy Goodwin was never going to win a Brownlow but he was some kind of sight charging in off the edge of the square, all raised elbows and malice.
Matthew Knights, at the start of a glittering career, was a beacon of class.
They reckoned ballsy Tony Free couldn’t kick but he had a hard-won pill in his hands — not the opposition’s — 30 times a week.
Duncan Kellaway was a favourite from the day of his first game, routinely putting himself in the kind of danger that made fans wince.
Years later, the crowd would celebrate his first career goal like he’d cracked the ton.
Craig Lambert was good before Kane Lambert was born, racking up huge stats out of middle until he shot through to Brisbane.
Big David Honybun could have been anything but limped to 50-odd games.
It wasn’t a bad effort for a bloke whose back was so bad he used to travel to Geelong games lying down in the back of a station wagon.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-dark-days-of-early-90s-make-recent-success-sweeter/news-story/46b995d4c9864da3082ec60a9832a60b
