One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on June 22, 2022, 07:31:24 PM
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WATCH CENTURIONS NOW: 'Disco' dances to 100 with 'best ever kick'
Watch in link: https://www.afl.com.au/news/784309/watch-centurions-now-disco-dances-to-100-with-best-ever-kick-
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Richmond hero Michael Roach opens up to Damian Barrett about his high-flying career in the third episode of Centurions
By Damian Barrett
afl.com.au
22 June 2022
AS A 20-year-old, Michael Roach took arguably the mark of the 1900s. As a 21-year-old, he kicked 100 goals in a season and secured the Coleman Medal and VFL premiership.
The famous Richmond footballer is the latest guest on AFL.com.au's special series Centurions, highlighting the VFL/AFL's elite 28 players (21 still living) who have kicked 100 goals in a season.
Requiring nine goals in a round 20, 1980 match against Melbourne at the MCG, 'Disco' became just the 15th VFL player to kick 100 goals in a season with what he described in this interview as the best kick of his career.
"The older I get, I was a hundred metres out," he joked. "I had plenty of adrenaline and thought I would hoe into this and see what happens, and I hit it perfectly, it was probably one of my best ever kicks. And it went through, it was lovely.
"Let's say it was 65-70 (metres), I won't do a Malcolm Blight.
"When it goes through, you're very happy but then you've got the people running on the ground, and I had big David Cloke there protecting me, an amazing feeling but it all happened very quickly.
"To do it and play in a premiership at 21 years of age (that same season) was amazing."
In 1979, Roach kicked 90 goals, and in 1981 he booted 86.
"And then they decided to recruit a few more full-forwards in Brian Taylor which meant I had to run and play somewhere else for a while," Roach said. "Then Brian left and I went back to full-forward."
Roach played 200 games with the Tigers between 1977 and 1989, kicking 607 goals.
The Tigers during the Roach goalkicking success had massive appeal, and for three seasons, in a team which included Kevin Bartlett, Geoff Raines, Francis Bourke, Cloke and Dale Weightman, no one had a bigger profile than Roach.
"It was nice to be kicking 100 goals and taking marks but I was kept very grounded by my teammates," Roach said.
(https://resources.afl.com.au/photo-resources/2022/06/20/f5ac47a8-f1e5-491f-90ba-872c14db3b09/Richmond-fans-swarm-around-Michael-Roach-during-a-match-in-1985.jpg?width=952&height=592)
(https://resources.afl.com.au/photo-resources/2022/06/20/8408f2e3-09ae-4b33-a1c7-93cac89a59ab/Michael-Roach-soars-high-over-a-pack-during-a-clash-between-Richmond-and-Hawthorn-in-1979.jpg?width=708&height=1062)
https://www.afl.com.au/news/784309/watch-centurions-now-disco-dances-to-100-with-best-ever-kick-