RFC Memorable Moments #1: the "Save Our Skins" campaign

[WilliamPowell]

 

Struth for a moment there I thought I saw myself in one of the background pics

2. Craig Lambert
3. Can't remember his name - Bartlett I think

4. Is that Allan McKellar

[Fishfinger]

Middle of pic 4 - Stuart Maxfield

[mightytiges]

2. Craig Lambert 
3. Can't remember his name - Bartlett I think 
4. Is that Allan McKellar 


ok a couple of clues:

1. Champion backman of the 1930s

4. Moi thinks one may be the older brother of a current Tiger.

5. I think we know who's on the left in the fifth photo

6. The one of the left had the same surname as another Tiger on our list at that time.

Apart from that ask Moi who they are .

[one-eyed]

TIGER PHIL LOSES HIS STRIPES

By Tony De Bolfo
Herald-Sun
Thursday, October 11, 1990



PHIL EGAN was looking forward to 1991.

Free of injury and full of vim and vitality, here was the chance to make his 10th senior season of football with Richmond, his life membership season with the club. . . one worth remembering.

But, today, Phil Egan is on football's scrap heap.

It all bappened at Punt Road on Monday, when Egan was called to a meeting with Richmond coach Kevin Bartlett and general manager Cameron Schwab.

"In short 'KB' said I wasn't part of the '91 plan," Egan said yesterday.

He (Bartlett) said: 'You might be better in new surroundings and we'll help you find new surroundings'. I then had an appointment with Cameron Schwab, so I knew something was going on ... we talked about pay cuts, which I was prepared to look at in a fair way. but there's no use discussing that if you're not wanted by the match committee or the coach."

Egan had always wanted to play out his days at Punt Road and, having played one year with the under 19s and reserves and the next nine with the seniors, he was very much part of the furniture down there or so he thought.

"It would always have heen hard to saddle up with someone else. but that reality has come now," Egan said.

"And I suppose it won't hit me until I, hopefully, run out with another League club."

Egan is a modest man, but he firmly believes that, at 27, with US senior matches to his name, he still has a future at AFL level.

He concedes his football over tbe past couple of seasons has not gone the way he would have liked.

Injuries

He has had a horror run of injuries. which include:

* In 1986, he broke his ankle.

* In 1988. he was unavailable for most of the year after breaking his sboulder.

* In 1989, he missed five matches with a hamstring complaint and, after his return, fractured his skull.

This year he has had persistent cartilage problems.

"So, in terms of 'KB' saying lack of continuity in games and, therefore, poor form through my unavailability, maybe he feels I will struggle," Egan said.

"But I believe I'm still good enough to pIay league footy, given an injury-free run and reckon it's someone else's bloody turn to cop injury.

"If things pan out, and I might be okay, then I'll be rapt. If it doesn't, I'll still play footy somewhere and still bloody enjoy it."

Egan is still under contract until the end of 1991 subject to being retained on Richmond's senior list, which is now an impossibility.

"I'm disappointed in Kevin and the match committee not to have kept me in their plans for a year I was gearing up for," Egan said.

Schwab said the club wished Egan good luck for the future.

(*) TIGER Stephen James also hopes to be picked up in next month's national draft.

James, 25, parted on amicable terms with Richmond two weeks ago after an injury-plagued run at Punt Rd over the past two years.

He missed nearly all of 1989 with a knee injury and dislocated his shoulder in this year's pre-season competition. He managed to play 12 of the last 15 games.

[one-eyed]

BARTLETT 'DISAPPOINTED" AT DRAFT BLOW

By Tony De Bolfo
Herald-Sun
Thursday, October 18, 1990.

RICHMOND coach Kevin Bartlett was disappointed yesterday at his club's loss of 1990 mid-season draft choice, West Torrens' Andrew Payze, to the South Australian composite side.

The Tigers are to be compensated $15,000 for losing Payze, but that did not rest easy with Bartlett.

"We had Andrew Payze drafted for three years. He knew about us and he wanted to play AFL football," Bartlett said.

"But drafting the player is one thing - getting him to land is another."

Bartlett stressed that over the past couple of years his club had put a lot of time and effort into recruiting, particularly younger players.

Then to get the opportunity to recruit a quality player like Andrew Payze - a runner-up in the Magarey Meda, 150 games of SANFL football, 23 years of age and a club best and fairest winner - he would make an enormous difference to our side and he's taken from underneath you," Bartlett said.

Though Richmond also stands to gain $200,000 as a result of the sale of an AFL licence to the South Australian composite team. Richmond financial advisor Michael Humphris did not warm to that given the loss of a player of Payze's calibre.

"And the board voted against this South Australian admission ... it doesn't do this club any good to forego players as opposed t $200,000," Humphris said.

Bartlett also defended his club's decision to discard senior players Phil Egan, Peter Czerkaski, Stephen James and Darren Keighran.

"AIl clubs must assess their personnel. It's an ongoing thing and Richmond is no different," Bartlett said,

"Of course everyone feels for the players. But with league rules being league rules so many of them can be affected, particularly before the draft, of November and March."

Bartlett confirmed that the club's national draft choice of 1988, Sturt's Bruce Lennon, would be at Punt Road for the 1991 pre-season training.

A knee injury put paid to Lennon's season in Adelaide this year.

[one-eyed]

RICHMOND LIST CHANGES

OFF

Michael Clark: at Punt Rood for some time but struggled;
David Cloke: Retired;
Peter Czerkaski: struggled. Hoping to be picked up in March draft;
Phil Egan: struggled with injury, but swapped to Melbourne in exchange for its third draft choice;
Gary Frangalas: another to struggle with injury. May be finished with AFL football;
Chris Martin: originally drafted by Hawthorn, but struggled in the reserves;
Stuart Maxfield: under 19 and not required to be listed;
Justin Paul: not quite up to it, but is still young and extremely keen;
Andrew Payze: named by the Adelaide team.

ON

Steven Cochrane: 19 and named on senior list. Has played a couple of reserve matches;
Terry Keays: acquired from Collingwood in exchange for first round draft choice;
John Bowen, Ty Ester, Dallas Kalms, Robert Elliott, Chris Wescombe: all 19 with reserve grade experience;
Andrew Pickering: younger brother of Michael and Justin. Has also tumed 19.

[one-eyed]

PART FOUR - THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

[one-eyed]

TIGERS' RACE AGAINST TIME

By Tym Glaser
Herald-Sun
Tuseday, October 16, 1990.

TIME is running out for the Richmond Football Club.

The future of the famous club is in serious doubt as  Save The Tigers fund is still $250,000 short of its $1 million target with two weeks remaining before its deadline.

The Tigers must have their debts covered by October 31 or face the possibility of extinction. Richmond general manager Cameron Schwab today said the huge fund-raising exercise had reached a critical stage.
 
"We always knew the last part of the money would be the hardest to raise." Schwab said. "There is still a lot of work to do and we desperately need to reach the $1 million mark."

Schwab said the club would hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon to highlight its dire position and push the cause before the football public again.

"There are still a lot of cans to be shaken and raffle tickets sold," he said. "We need all the support and donations we can get."

The Tigers have raised more than $750,000 since the appeal started in August.

"It has been a tremendous effort to raise so much money but if we don't make the million it will be in vain." Schwab said.

The Tigers last major function before the deadline will be beId at the Metro nightclub this Sunday evening.

A variety eoncert featuring the likes of Colleen Hewitt, Peter CuppIes, Doug Parkinson and Russell Morris will start at 8.30pm. Tickets to the concert cost $15 and can be bought through the club or at the door.

"The concert has the potential to raise about $40,000," Schwab said.

"However, we will still be along way from the target even if we get that.

Many Richmond fans have worked tirelessly to lift the club out of its financial quagmire through raffles and roadside collections.

The club has organised several money-raising events including a legends games between former Richmond and Carlton greats. More than 20,100 people watched the ageing stars in action at Windy Hill.

SOS Tally - October 16: $750,000

[one-eyed]

TIGERS LOOK SAFE, THANKS TO ADELAIDE

By Tony De Bolfo
Herald-Sun
Thursday, October 18, 1990.

While Richmond is still $240,000 short of it survival target, the emergence of Adelaide Football Club may has saved the Tigers.

At a press conference at Punt Road yesterday, Richmond president Neville Crowe said the 'Save Our Skins" campaign had amassed $760,000 with two weeks to go before the October 31 deadline.

And while Tiger officials admit that a $1 million in two weeks is an ambitious target, the club is guaranteed $200,000 from the VFL's sale of a licence fee to the Adelaide composite club.

Further, they already have in the coffers $109,000 from a membership drive which gathered momentum since the start of the campaign eight weeks ago.

But Crowe argued the membership revenue could not be included in the fund-raising figures, because it formed part of future budgets, with many of the memberships covering five or 10 years.

He also pointed out the club was $1.25 million in the red and still owed vice president Gary Krauss $300,000.

Crowe said the financial fight was far from over.

"On August 15, the Richmond Football Club clearly stated our precarious position - we must raise $1 million by October 31 or die," Crowe said.

"Nothing's changed. Except the numbers."

Crowe called on supporters who had not given to "give till it hurts and them give some more."

And he likened Richmond's plight to that of Footscray's last year, but expressed disappointment virtually no money had come from the corporate sector.

"All of the money has basically come from grass roots people, there's virtually nil corporate support," Crowe said.

The only exception was a donation of $10,000 by Craig Kimberley of Just Jeans, who is ironically a part owner of Sydney.

Richmond's final fundraising event is a concert at the Metro Nightclub on Sunday night including some of Australia's top singers and comedians.

[one-eyed]

THESE ARE OUR KIND OF PIES

By Tony De Bolfo
Herald-Sun
Saturday, October 20, 1990.



The Tigers might not be keen on Magpies but they certainly don't mind the odd hot pie.

In fact, Dale Weightman and Michael Pickering were more then happy to tuck into a couple of football's staple diet yesterday.

Pattie's Pies has donated 30c from every pie sold to Richmond's Save Our Skins appeal and more than $12,000 has been raised.

But it doesn't stop there. Captain Weightman, vice-captain Pickering, young forward Stephen Ryan and many other Tigers will be on hand today hawking the Richmond Football Club's merchandise as part of a fund-raising drive with the Richmond Hill Traders group.

The players will band together with the group, which will adorn the facades of their shops (in Bridge Rd bounded by Punt Rd and Leenox St) with permanent banners highlighting the new image of Richmond.

The players will be in Bridge Road all day, signing autographs and distributing balloons.

What of the players, who throughout the Save Our Skins' appeal have donated their services. How have they felt throughout it all?

"We're a lot more confident now than we were when we first heard the news," Ryan said yesterday.

"Now it seems realistic we'll reach the target, and I think we can get there if the supporters keep pledging like they have been."

Ryan concedes that at the time the crisis hit he had asked himself what it would be like playing for another club.

But he has put his worries behind him to concentrate on the fight for the well-being of his club.

"You don't play football for money when you're a little kid," Ryan said.

"When I run out onto the ground on Saturday I don't think of money and I'm sure the other players don't think of money.

"I think it's the love of the jumper that keeps you going for 10 years."

The club still needs to raise about $230,000 to reach $1 million before the end of October and hold off the bankers.

A special Metro Rage concert will be held tomorrow night featuring Colleen Hewitt, Doug Parkinson and Russell Morris. Entry to the Metro Night Club is a $15 donation and the concert starts at 8.30pm.

[one-eyed]

Tigers back in business.

Crowe joy as cash nears target.

By Jamie Tate
Herald-Sun
Wednesday, October 31, 1990.

RICHMOND Football Club is saved.

The Tigers' Save Our Skins campaign ends today and although the club is $80,000 short of its $1 million target, club president Neville Crowe said the money raised appeared enough to ensure the club's survival.

"I think it would be a pretty crazy bank manager to come and hold a gun at our head now and say 'we are closing the doors'," Crowe said.

With coin collection tins and money raised from sportsmen's nights still to be received, Crowe is optimistic the $1 million will be achieved.

"We've got a press conference later today (at Punt Rd) and I'd like to think that by then we could say we have raised $1 million.

"We got a very good response yesterday and I'm hopeful that will continue today."

The club had debts of $1.2 million at the start of the campaign but set its sights on raising $1 million.

Crowe said the response from Richmond supporters, other AFL clubs, the media and the football public had been tremendous.

"Individually I got a personal donation from Ron Hovey, the Geelong president, and a donation from one of Geelong's coterie groups, the Pivotonians," Crowe said.

"Footscray Football Club gave us $200 and we've had pledges of support from various other clubs.

"Allan McAlister, Collingwood's president, pledged his club's support but we haven't seen it yet.

"But Allan is an honorable man and Collingwood is an honorable club, and they made plenty of money from the grand final so I'm sure we'll hear from them."

Crowe believes Richmond can trade profitably and is adamant the Tigers will not suffer further financial torment.

"It can never happen again," Crowe said.

Crowe said the rules regarding the salary cap and transfer fees would help stop a repeat of the club's financial woes. "That's where people went wrong in the past, spending money that we didn't have," he said.

The Save Our Skins campaign had many fundraisers, highlighted by the legends match between former Richmond and Carlton champions on September 30 which raised $108,000.

[one-eyed]

THE END 

[one-eyed]

Some of the names to the photos:

1. Martin Bolger
2. Craig Lambert 
3. KB
4. Allan McKellar in the centre plus Sean Bowden on the right (we think)
5. Michael Roach + ?
6. Cory Young on the left