The 100 tiger treasures have been sent out by the club. Here's the first category - 10 DEFINING MOMENTS OF THE CENTURY. You vote for the one you consider the most significant.
JOINING THE VFL
Richmond had been pipped by St Kilda for the final spot in the breakaway VFL competition when that was formed in 1896, but in late 1907 it was invited to join. The Tigers, who had won two VFA premierships, were a strong team, financially sound, played their home games at the centrally located Punt Road Oval and had immense drawing power.
THE SASH
Richmond made its VFL debut in 1908 in Yellow and Black vertical stripes, but in 1914 the iconic sash appeared on the front and back of the guernsey. It ran from right to left over the shoulder initially, but the alignment was changed from left to right in 1919. The sash struck an immediate chord with Tiger barrackers.
THE FIRST PREMIERSHIP
Richmond finished the 1920 home-and-away season on top and, under the finals system of the day, were guaranteed a Grand Final berth, even if it lost the second-semi against Carlton. The Tigers did lose, but still advanced to the Grand Final, where they met Collingwood, who beat Carlton in the final. Richmond won by 17 points to claim its first VFL flag.
EAT 'EM ALIVE
The "Eat 'em Alive" rallying cry has electrified Richmond supporters throughout the past 100 years… No other league club has a phrase that captures the very essence of its symbol - the tiger - and galvanises the passion of its followers. It can be heard at the opening bounce, when a match is in the balance, or when the Tigers are crushing an opponent.
JACK DYER'S DEBUT
Jack Dyer was selected as 19th man for his senior debut with Richmond in the Round 2, 1931 clash with North Melbourne at Punt Road. He spent the whole game on the bench as Richmond recorded a 168-point win. The following week, Dyer was back in the seconds. It took until the return match against North that season for him to make a full debut.
THE THEME SONG
One day in 1962, with Richmond languishing, committeeman Alf Barnett ushered cabaret singer Jack Malcomson into the rooms. Barnett told the players Malcomson had written a song for the Club and wanted to test it. Malcomson sang "We're From Tigerland" and, when he bellowed out the final lines, the players leapt up excitedly. They were hooked, as were Tiger fans when they heard it.
THE MOVE TO THE MCG
By 1964, Punt Road Oval had become unsuitable for league football due to its lack of size. Richmond, under president Ray Dunn, devised a plan of sharing the MCG with Melbourne for home games. Despite initial opposition from clubs, the Tigers eventually got the green light from League directors and moved their home games to the 'G' in 1965.
TOMMY HAFEY'S APPOINTMENT AS COACH
At the end of 1965, Richmond's search for a new coach led it to former player Tommy Hafey, who had just guided country club Shepparton to a third successive premiership. Hafey accepted the position and wasted no time in imposing his methods on the Tigers. Richmond narrowly missed the finals in 1966, but broke a 24-year premiership drought the following season and flourished for a decade under Hafey.
BREAKING THE DROUGHT IN '67
Richmond finished the '67 home-and-away series on top, however, critics remained unconvinced of the team's premiership chances due to its total lack of finals experience. Even after a convincing 40-point second semi victory over Carlton, doubts lingered. But on September 23,1967, a 24-year premiership drought was washed away, with Richmond winning a Classic Grand final against Geelong by nine points.
SAVE OUR SKINS
On August 15, 1990, Richmond announced that it needed to raise $1 million by October 31 that year, or it would cease to exist. The Save Our Skins campaign was immediately established to keep the Tigers alive. With Club president Neville Crowe as the figurehead, the SOS campaign did exactly what it set out to achieve, raising the necessary funds to stave off the threat of extinction.
