CONTROVERSIES OF THE CENTURY
ROGER DEAN / RON BARASSI INCIDENT IN 1963
In the second last round of the 1963 season, tough Richmond back pocket Roger Dean was felled following a confrontation with Melbourne's captain Ron Barassi. The Demon champion subsequently was reported and suspended for four weeks for striking Dean, putting him out for the entire finals series. The incident attracted enormous publicity, with Barassi adamant he hadn't touched Dean.
NEVILLE CROWE / JOHN NICHOLLS INCIDENT IN 1967 SECOND-SEMI
Richmond stalwart Neville Crowe was reported and suspended for four weeks for striking Carlton ruckman John Nicholls in the 1967 second-semi. Crewe missed the Tigers' drought-breaking premiership two weeks later and subsequently retired. Today's trial-by-video would have cleared him in an instant as his open hand swipe at Nicholls plainly missed.
BILL BARROT / IAN STEWART SWAP
At the end of 1970, dual Richmond premiership hero Bill Barrot was swapped to St Kilda for dual Brownlow Medallist tan Stewart. The deal angered many Tiger fans, who held Barrot in such high esteem for his matchwinning ability. Stewart, however, quickly won them over, taking out his third Brownlow in his debut season with the Tigers and then playing in the Club's 1973 premiership side.
NEIL BALME'S RAMPAGE V CARLTON, 1973 GRAND FINAL
The burly Tiger embarked on his own private war with the Blues' backmen in the '73 Grand Final. Balme, playing at full-forward, KO'd champion full-back Geoff Southby and decked Vin Waite and Kevin Hall, as the Tigers extracted full retribution from Carlton for their shock Grand Final loss the previous year.
WINDY HALL BRAWL
On May 18, 1974, all hell broke loose at half-time of Richmond's clash with Essendon at Windy Hill as the players were leaving the field... A massive brawl erupted, involving players and officials of both clubs. Following a league investigation, several players and officials received suspensions, the heaviest being for Graeme Richmond, who was rubbed out until December 31 and also fined $2000.
THE JOHN PITURA TRADE
Richmond relentlessly pursuing a third consecutive premiership, in 1975, set its sights On South Melbourne star John Pitura. Initially, South refused to budge, and the Tigers copped a fine from the VFL for trying to poach Pitura. Finally, South relented, trading Pitura in exchange for popular Tiger premiership ruckman Brian 'The Whale' Roberts, full-forward Graharn Teasdale and defender Francis Jackson.
TONY JEWELL / PERCY JONES QUARTER-TIME BRAWL
There was a sensation at the end of the quarter-time break in Richmond's qualifying final against Carlton at Waverley in 1980 when Tiger coach Tony Jewell and his Blues' counterpart Percy Jones clashed. Jones rushed at Jewell and Richmond's psychologist Rudi Webster, who had previously worked at Carlton. The coaches took a couple of swipes at each other, much to the bemusement of onlookers.
TRADE WARS WITH COLLlNGWOOD OF THE 80S
At the end of 1982, there was an exodus of key players from Punt Road, with Collingwood being the main recipient, snaring star pair David Cloke and Geoff Raines. This stung the Tigers - in particular, Graeme Richmond. So, Richmond raided the Magpies' nest, recruiting the likes of Phillip Walsh, John Annear, Craig Stewart and Neil Peart, while Tiger spearhead Brian Taylor ended up at Victoria Park.
ALAN BOND'S BRISBANE PLAN
In late 1986, the Tigers, with the strong-backing of president-elect Alan Bond, announced they to play their 11 away games in Brisbane from the 1987 season onwards, with 11 home games at the MCG. This decision immediately split the Club, with some favoring the move, while others vehemently opposed it. But after opposition to the move intensified, Richmond abandoned the Brisbane plan.
THE JEFF HOGG TRADE
At the end of the 1993 season, Richmond sent shock waves through the football world when it decided to put captain and five-time winner of the Club's Leading Goalkicker award, Jeff Hogg up for trade. Hogg eventually was cleared to Fitzroy in exchange for three players – Paul Broderick, Michael Gale and Matthew Dundas.
