The day a Hart transplant revived Richmond
richmondfc.com.au
6:35 PM Fri 19 September, 2008
Preliminary final week for me always evokes wonderful memories of the greatest Richmond victory I have ever seen.
My mind pleasantly drifts back to the 1973 preliminary final . . . Arch rival Collingwood was our opponent that super-special September Saturday afternoon, and we came from 45 points down at one stage during the second quarter, to snatch an incredible win.
That success gave us another crack at Carlton, in the 1973 Grand Final, and a chance to avenge the bitter disappointment of the loss to the Blues in the premiership-decider the previous year.
The Tigers finished the '73 home-and-away season in second place on the ladder with a 17-5 record. Collingwood had finished top with a 19-3 record, while Carlton was third with a 15-7 record.
In the first week of the '73 finals series, Carlton 13.13 (91) defeated Richmond 10.11 (71) in the qualifying final. Collingwood gained automatic entry into the second semi-final by virtue of finishing top of the ladder. But in the second semi, the Magpies 12.15 (87) lost to Carlton 15.17 (107).
That set up a do-or-die preliminary final clash between Richmond and Collingwood for the right to meet Carlton in the big one the following week.
Intrigue surrounded the lead-up to the penultimate match of the '73 season, with brilliant Tiger centre half-forward/captain Royce Hart under a major injury cloud with a knee problem and considered more than likely to miss. At the last minute, however, Richmond named Hart as 19th man, as insurance – just in case something drastic went wrong and he was needed to come off the bench and provide some inspiration.
It turned out to be the best insurance policy ever underwritten at Punt Road . . .
Royce, the idol of the Yellow and Black hordes, was summoned into the fray after spending the first half on the pine, with the Tigers trailing by six goals and seemingly shot.
Here's how Mike Worner, writing in the Sunday Observer the day after the '73 preliminary final, saw the Hart drama unfold . . ."At 1.30 yesterday afternoon Richmond captain Royce Hart offered his services to coach Tom Hafey.
"I wasn't going to have him sitting in the grandstand if he could be of value to us, so he went on the bench," Hafey said.
At 3.30, during the half-time break, Robert Lamb was replaced and the magical Mr Hart took over at centre half-forward.
At 5.30, he was talking about Richmond's star-studded seven-point second half steal of the preliminary final from Collingwood.
It was two quarters of Hart-Balme that lifted Richmond into the Grand Final for the second year in-a-row.
Hart, bubbling with confidence despite his troublesome knee, turned Lee Adamson's fairytale first half into a second half horror story.
Memories must have come flooding back for Jeff Clifton as his last half against Neil Balme also turned sour.
Balme actually began his five-goal run just before half-time when he took a mark in the goal square.
It had been awfully quiet for him, and all the Richmond forwards up to that stage.
The Collingwood backs, going in as they had never gone in before, gave the Tiger tails an uncomfortable pull.
"Our first half must have sapped all our energy. I believe we were not as physically strong as Richmond," a despondent Collingwood captain Wayne Richardson said after the game.
The game was almost a replica of the 1970 Grand Final when Carlton turned on a trail-blazing second half.
"Once again we walk away from the MCG disappointed," coach Neil Mann told his gloomy supporters and players.
Other than the Hart-Balme combination, Hafey made other moves that turned the tide.
Wayne Walsh went to the centre and the strangely ineffective Ian Stewart went to a half-forward flank, Robert McGhie went onto Thompson at centre half-forward, Dick Clay returned to full-back and Francis Bourke began the third quarter on a half-back flank.
Bourke found his feet in defence, Walsh started to collect kicks and Len Thompson languished.
The Thompson-Jenkin switch just before the ball was bounced gave the start of the match some added drama.
It worked perfectly as Jenkin, playing like a man possessed, marked and tapped his way to stardom.
Thompson, using pace and height, was more than a handful for the tentative Bourke.
Collingwood rover George Bisset, the best man on the ground, was everywhere. Again, it was only in part two of the match, that Kevin Bartlett and Paul Sproule became an influence.
With Paul Cranage, Lee Adamson and Daryl Salmon also on top, Collingwood raced away.
But once Hafey had made his half-time changes and the Richmond pace, strength and skill began to tell, Collingwood began that tumble to obscurity.
They actually lost the lead for the first time in the match when Richmond levelled the scores at the nine-minute mark in the final term.
The Magpies refused to say goodbye and Alan Holmes kicked a gutsy goal to give them back the lead.
Then, minutes into the quarter, the Tigers hit the front for the first time when Bartlett goaled.
At that point some spectators, sensing the usual Collingwood "always the bridesmaid" role, began to leave.
Coaching legend, Ron Barassi, also writing in the Sunday Observer, pulled no punches with his assessment why the Tigers had emerged triumphant . . ."Richmond won because they have matchwinners in their side . . . Collingwood lost because they have none.
The Magpies, when picking themselves up off the floor during the summer, should look at the fact that they do not have a real matchwinner.
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