National Museum buys a slice of Royce Hart's historyRohan Connolly
The Age
20 November 2015Few eras in football have left as profound a legacy as Richmond's dominance of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Tigers were a powerful unit, who between 1967-74 played in five grand finals and won four premierships, and was chock full of stars, none of whom shone brighter than champion centre half-forward Royce Hart.
Hart's own legacy was acknowledged by the AFL in 2013 when was made a Legend of the Game. And now it's been acknowledged by the National Museum in Canberra.
Tommy Hafey and Royce Hart.
The museum has purchased an extensive collection of 57 pieces of Hart's memorabilia, and not just the usual array of old guernseys and medals.
There's Hart's first contract with the Tigers from 1965, in which the club agreed to pay him a weekly wage of two pounds 10 shillings, and, famously, a suit, six shirts and a pair of shoes. And there's his Royal Australian Artillery beret and National Service medal from his time in the army after being drafted in 1968 during the Vietnam war.
Hart did not serve overseas, but he did spend the entire 1969 season based in Adelaide with the artillery, training with SANFL club Glenelg and flying back to Melbourne each weekend to play.
The interruption to routine made little difference. Hart still won Richmond's best and fairest and helped the Tigers to their second flag in three years.
He was also conscripted by Glenelg for their grand final against Sturt the week after the Tigers' triumph for the then-princely sum of $2000. That brief service didn't go so well, with Hart targeted and concussed early in the game, and his adopted side losing.
The Hart museum collection also includes his premiership player trophies, his jumper from 1967 when he played for the "Galahs" in their tour of Ireland, and his navy blue state guernseys with the famous white Big V.
There is also the jumper he wore in the 1966 VFL reserves grand final for Richmond against Collingwood.
Hart had been promoted from the under-19s only late in that season. With Collingwood leading the reserves grand final by one point with only seconds remaining, Hart marked 60 metres out and duly won the game with a booming torpedo punt.
Of course there's the jumper he wore in the thrilling 1967 win over Geelong in which he took one of the most famous marks in football history over the Cats' Peter Walker, and from the 1973 and 1974 grand finals, both in which he was captain.
The '73 jumper is a particular treasure. Hart played that entire finals series with torn cartilage in his knee, an injury so severe that by the time Richmond played the preliminary final against Collingwood, he could only sit on the reserves bench.
At half-time, with the Tigers six goals in arrears, Tiger powerbroker Graeme Richmond suggested to coach Tom Hafey – in no uncertain terms – that Hart be brought on. "If you bring him on now, you won't have him for the grand final," Hafey said. To which Richmond responded: "We won't get to the f*****g grand final if he doesn't come on!"
Hafey took the gamble. It paid off spectacularly, Hart kicking two inspiring goals in a third-quarter comeback, Richmond getting up to win by seven points. Hart fired again on grand final day against Carlton, kicking three goals and again holding the premiership cup aloft.
Stories like that are an important part of Australian football folklore. And with the Museum's purchase, Hart along with them officially recognised as an important part of Australian history.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/national-museum-buys-a-slice-of-royce-harts-history-20151119-gl36tw.html
