Remembering Royce the rolled gold Richmond rookie (RFC)

[Hellenic Tiger]

Kevin Morris came from Glen Waverley which was our zone. FT I actually lived in that area as a child and I remember a few kids in my class at East Oakleigh primary played for Oakleigh Youth who wore green and yellow circa 1980 and were Tigers fans but we also had others who played for Oakleigh District who fell into Sth Melbourne's zone. We actually lived in the same street as Steven Wright who played for Oakleigh District as did David Rhys Jones. Nevertheless most kids were Richmond supporters in the area growing up during my primary school years in the early 80's.

[mightytiges]

Thanks Fluffy and HT74. I could be totally wrong but I just remember hearing something about the VFL introducing zoning in the mid 70s (1974-5?) which Richmond and Fitzroy opposed. We ended up getting poor zones (to which some people blamed the VFL paying us back for being arrogant and successful) while say Hawthorn got Assumption College.

[Smokey]

Thanks Fluffy and HT74. I could be totally wrong but I just remember hearing something about the VFL introducing zoning in the mid 70s (1974-5?) which Richmond and Fitzroy opposed. We ended up getting poor zones (to which some people blamed the VFL paying us back for being arrogant and successful) while say Hawthorn got Assumption College.

My memory could be a bit vague about this also but I thought zoning came in a bit earlier than this.  I remember we had the Sunraysia (Mildura/Swan Hill) zone and did quite well out of it.  Mark Lee, Dale Weightman, Merv Keane, Jim Jess are a few that spring to mind.  I was from Bendigo and they were zoned to Carlton who did very well - Geoff Southby, Rod Ashman, Des English, Peter Dean, Jim Buckley,  Ken Sheldon, Ray Byrne, Dean Rice, Peter Rhode, Tony Southcombe, Peter McConville and many others.  From memory, zoning had its pros and cons - some sides poured a lot more effort and resources into their zones and were rewarded for it but not all zones were equal - they all had a major league as well as minor leagues but not all major leagues were at the same strength/standard, hence an uneven playing field.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Matty Knights was from Merebin which is up near Mildura in the Sunraysia District.

[mightytiges]

My memory could be a bit vague about this also but I thought zoning came in a bit earlier than this.  I remember we had the Sunraysia (Mildura/Swan Hill) zone and did quite well out of it.  Mark Lee, Dale Weightman, Merv Keane, Jim Jess are a few that spring to mind.  I was from Bendigo and they were zoned to Carlton who did very well - Geoff Southby, Rod Ashman, Des English, Peter Dean, Jim Buckley,  Ken Sheldon, Ray Byrne, Dean Rice, Peter Rhode, Tony Southcombe, Peter McConville and many others.  From memory, zoning had its pros and cons - some sides poured a lot more effort and resources into their zones and were rewarded for it but not all zones were equal - they all had a major league as well as minor leagues but not all major leagues were at the same strength/standard, hence an uneven playing field.

Cheers for that smokey. The Kellaways (well Duncan at least) and Pickerings came from our Glen Waverley zone IIRC.

[Smokey]

Cheers for that smokey. The Kellaways (well Duncan at least) and Pickerings came from our Glen Waverley zone IIRC.

And reading the first part of the Neville Crowe story it appears he was a product of zoning also (although already a confirmed Richmond tragic).  He mentioned that he was from Malvern which was in our zone.  That would make it back into the late 50's/early60's.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Crowe's career spanned from 1957-67.
Did he attend De La Salle like Jack Dyer anyone? Just curious.

[mightytiges]

Cheers for that smokey. The Kellaways (well Duncan at least) and Pickerings came from our Glen Waverley zone IIRC.

And reading the first part of the Neville Crowe story it appears he was a product of zoning also (although already a confirmed Richmond tragic).  He mentioned that he was from Malvern which was in our zone.  That would make it back into the late 50's/early60's.

Just did a wikipedia search. You're right smokey. It seems Metropolitan zones had been around for donkey's years whereas country zones came in the late 1960s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_zoning

[Fishfinger]

Zoning was an unfair system. Country zoning took it to another level of unfairness.

[Smokey]

Zoning was an unfair system. Country zoning took it to another level of unfairness.

Agree.  Some sides were much smarter in how they used/developed it but it helped create a 'cultural' divide.

[Fluffy Tiger]

I do believe South Melbourne put quite a bit of effort into the zones back in those days. They seemed to have a great Under 19 teams and Little league teams. Look where it got them in the end though  . 

It was a unfiar sytem but hey talent can come form anywhere so it was all luck anyway.

[mightytiges]

Zoning was an unfair system. Country zoning took it to another level of unfairness.

Yep, good riddens to it. Although some like Malcolm Blight want it brought back  .