JUST IN: “Review of the 1974 Grand Final: Capturing the Spirit”

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1974 premiership, Richmond Media has been transporting Yellow and Black barrackers back in time throughout 2024 to follow the Punt Road path to that tremendous triumph. On September 28, 1974, Richmond made it back-to-back flags with a commanding performance in the Grand Final against North Melbourne at the MCG. The Tigers scored a decisive 41-point victory to capture their ninth League football premiership. Here is a quarter-by-quarter summary of the big match, followed by a selection of newspaper reports . . .

First quarter: The ’74 Grand Final was played on a dry surface in overcast conditions in front of a crowd of 113,839. The game developed into a battle of defences in the early part of the opening quarter, before North’s Sam Kekovich marked strongly and goaled. North had the majority of the crowd support due to the fact it was striving for its first VFL premiership. Wayne Walsh kicked Richmond’s first goal after receiving a free kick in the forward pocket. Royce Hart was right on top at centre half-forward, marking strongly on several occasions. Daryl Cumming handballed to tall youngster David Cloke, and he registered the Tigers’ second goal with an excellent left-foot snap under extreme pressure from several North defenders. Both sides were applying intense physical pressure, and this resulted in several basic errors in general play.

Misses to Hart, Kevin Bartlett and Paul Sproule saw Richmond move to 3.7, before Barry Richardson goaled after a strong mark to give the Tigers a comfortable lead near quarter-time. The Roos, however, fought back with a fine snap from full-forward Doug Wade, which chalked up his 100th goal for the season. Veteran rover Barry Cable goaled right on the siren after receiving a free kick, to bring North to within 10 points.

Second quarter: After their late rush in the first quarter, the Roos started strongly in the second term.  Early goals to captain Barry Davis and two from Wade saw them open up a 12-point lead. Then, a major turning point in the game occurred when Kevin Sheedy took a clever one-handed mark in the forward pocket for the Tigers. He went back to take his shot for goal from a very acute angle, ran in as if to kick, but then handballed over the man on the mark (North’s) Brad Smith to the unguarded Michael Green, who dribbled through the easiest of goals. North seemed to falter after this as Richmond lifted dramatically. Shortly after, Sheedy passed to an unchecked Hart, who marked and goaled from the forward pocket. The Tigers’ charge continued as Green took a strong mark and converted from the goal square. North’s dual Brownlow Medallist Keith Greig won the ball in fine style on the Members’ wing, dodged two Tiger opponents, took a bounce and passed to Wayne Schimmelbusch, who dished off to Cable. But Cable, who was on his own, somehow inexplicably fumbled the mark and the ball rolled through for a behind.

Richmond then went forward, where Neil Balme was given a free kick for a trip. He subsequently sent a towering torpedo punt right through the middle from the outer half-forward flank. Hart continued to dominate, kicking two goals – one from a top mark, where he threw himself sideways, and the other from a snap after gathering a loose ball from a ball-up. Robert Peterson replied with a good snap-shot goal for North, to reduce Richmond’s lead to 20 points at the long break.

Third quarter: North Melbourne appeared after half-time without its skipper Davis, who had an injured leg.  After just two minutes of play, Sheedy goaled for the Tigers after taking a mark. Then David Thorpe’s shot for goal narrowly missed, before Wade got one back for North.  Richmond, however, quickly replied when Thorpe converted from a free kick. The standard of play was excellent, as the Roos’ 19th man Arnold Briedis goaled with a fine kick on the run.  Richmond’s teamwork was the major difference between the sides. Kevin Morris was felled on the outer wing and shortly afterwards a fight broke out involving a large group of players. Wade charged from full-forward at Tiger defender Robbie McGhie, but McGhie ducked, and Wade was sent sprawling to the turf. Bryan Wood and Paul Feltham tangled, along with Morris and Kekovich.

The Tigers added points to Sheedy, from a free kick, Sproule, from a mark, and Cumming, from a snap. With McGhie limping noticeably, Kekovich slammed through his second goal. North threw everything at Richmond, but the Tigers’ defence stood firm. Morris missed after a kick on the run. From the kick-in, however, Sheedy took a superb high mark and goaled from the outer pocket. Following a high-standard third quarter, the Roos had reduced Richmond’s half-time lead by only one point. 

Fourth quarter: From the first bounce, Hart drove the Tigers forward, where Cumming grabbed the loose ball and handballed to Richardson, who was alone in the goal square. The subsequent goal came after only 51 seconds of play in the term. Not long after, strong play by Thorpe led to the ball being forced towards Cumming, who tapped it to Sheedy for another goal. Richmond’s surge continued when Hart grabbed a loose ball on the centre wing and passed to Sheedy, who drove deep into the forward pocket with a drop kick.

Richardson then gathered the crumbs and cleverly eluded an opponent, before snapping a terrific right-foot goal. Hart was flattened in an incident with North’s Phil Baker, who had his number taken as a result. Cumming increased the Tigers’ lead to 44 points when he goaled from a free kick. Richardson booted the next goal after taking a fine mark diving sideways. Greig replied for the Roos with a good running goal. Richardson, using his body well to keep his opponent out, took another strong mark, and goaled.

Cameron Clayton came on to the field to replace Wood, with Sheedy going off to allow ‘Whale’ Roberts a run. Burns kicked North’s 13th goal, but it was all to no avail for the Roos. Richmond finished the match full of running and scored a convincing 41-point victory.

In The Herald newspaper, doyen of football journalists, Alf Brown, wrote:

“Richmond won their second successive premiership at the MCG today when they easily defeated North Melbourne.

Richmond were too strong in the ruck, won in the air and had matchwinners in Royce Hart and Kevin Sheedy.

They would have won by a greater margin, but for poor kicking early in the match.

The premiership was a triumph for Richmond coach Tom Hafey who had to nurse his side over two idle Saturdays and bring them into this game in top condition.

Another man who shares the triumph is former Richmond defender and now club surgeon, Mr Brian Davie.

After last year’s Grand Final, he operated on the knees of Hart, Balme, Richardson and Bourke and today the four were in my best players.

North tried hard, but did not have enough talent or big men to tame the tough, talented, never-stop-bumping and running Tigers.

Richmond led by 19 points at the start of the last quarter and sewed up the game with five goals before North kicked one . . .”

Geoff Poulter, writing in Inside Football newspaper, had this to say about Richmond’s resounding success:

“There was a touch of irony in the way Kevin Sheedy went about shattering the impossible dream of Ron Barassi, the coach.

The “modern-day Barassi” did to North Melbourne what Ron Barassi the player, had inflicted upon his rivals in Melbourne’s famous Grand Final sides of the 1950s and early 1960s.

No one would suggest that every Richmond member didn’t play his part, but to my mind, Sheedy – complete footballer in every respect – was the man who got things moving.

And he got things moving the way Barassi used to do in his heyday.

Irrespective of any comparisons between Barassi the player and Sheedy the player, the Richmond trouble-shooter possesses all those intangible qualities that go together to make a thorough all-round “pressure” player.

Sheedy’s reputation is built round the fact that he’s always there when things are tight.

And he was in Saturday’s Grand Final – there with his strength, his courage, his professional football know-how, his fitness. Inspiring, tormenting, stirring, driving, wanting to win.

These are all the ingredients that make Sheedy (and made Barassi) a ruthless, irresistible football force.

When North were at the peak of their momentum, and had raced to an 11-point lead 10 minutes into the second quarter, it was time for Kevin Sheedy to come to the rescue.

He called upon the much under-rated Paul Sproule – switched to the centre – and the mercurial Royce Hart to help him put an end to the rot.

And 15 minutes and six goals later, the North defence had become rattled, and the Tigers were marching triumphantly to another flag.

The Roos were suddenly out of business for 1974 – stunned by a great Tiger football machine, and probably one of the greatest teams of all time.

Sheedy, Sproule, and Hart led the charge; Gareth Andrews, Kevin Morris, Francis Bourke, Robert McGhie, and Dick Clay kept the rear intact.

And further afield Neil Balme, Michael Green, Wayne Walsh, Kevin Bartlett and later Barry Richardson (5.1) stood tall.

In contrast to the superb teaming, handball, backing up and close understanding of the close-knit Tigers, the raw Roos looked a disjointed rabble.

They fought hard in a desperate third quarter to try to win back control.

It was a total effort in this term, and North had their measure of success – but it was only partial . . . this supreme surge produced only 3.1 to 2.6, and reduced the deficit from 20 to 19 points.

Then in the last quarter they wilted while the Tigers forged on.

North had a few players who didn’t perform to their reputation, and others who were basically just not good enough.

They certainly didn’t play as well as they had in some other pressure games through the year, and 41 points was an unkind margin.

But remember Richmond had 38 shots to 22, and six more by quarter-time when they led by only a goal . . . 

There were suggestions that North should have gambled more – knowing that the orthodox hadn’t been sufficient to beat Richmond in three previous meetings.

But overall, it is clear that the Roos were ill-equipped to handle the might of Richmond, egged on by much anti-Tiger feeling . . .

Richmond have opened a new era in football which has lasted so long – and will last longer – because of their attitude towards HATING defeat . . .”

Legendary Hawthorn coach, John Kennedy (who at that stage of his coaching career had led the Hawks to two premierships), was glowing in his praise of the Tigers’ performance. In his finals column for The Age newspaper, Kennedy wrote:

“Richmond’s handpassing and kicking in Saturday’s Grand Final was as near to perfection as you can get.

As Hawthorn coach, that was my outstanding impression of the game.

That handball and positional kicking are the two things that helped Richmond most – and the two things I’d like to bring to Hawthorn.

The way Tom Hafey has his side playing makes Richmond the envy of every other league club.

Richmond played a wonderful, natural game. It is no wonder players from other clubs want to go to Richmond. Their style of football is so attractive.

Before the game, I thought North Melbourne could win. I felt Richmond, particularly players like Royce Hart and Barry Richardson, who have had serious injuries, could have been a little rusty.

By quarter-time, I felt it was obvious that Richmond would win by a big margin. It looked a much better side, both in ability and strength.

It was all to North’s credit that they came back at Richmond in the second and third quarters.

But honestly, North never really looked like going on with it. That last quarter showed they just weren’t up to it.

Overall, Richmond was a much more accomplished side. Its ruckmen, Neil Balme and Michael Green, were too strong. Only Barry Goodingham could compete with them and the odds were very much against him.

There were some outstanding individual achievements by Richmond players.

Kevin Sheedy’s display had everything – great skill, great courage and fanatical determination.

His handpass to Green in the goal square was a good example – cool, but daring. Had he been off-line with the handpass, the ball would have gone through for a point.

He fooled everyone. Every North Melbourne player seemed to go to sleep for a second. But it was the sort of mistake that any team, even the best, can make.

Royce Hart was another. He played a great game at centre half-forward. His kicking was tremendous and North had no answer.

Even when North was attacking, Hart was dropping back to the centre picking up kicks. That’s not fair. No coach expects a centre half-forward to do that . . .”

Richmond coach Tommy Hafey, understandably, was ecstatic with the result . . .

“It’s a tremendous feeling to win two in-a-row and every Richmond player deserves credit. I don’t want to individualise. It was a team effort and I think this told on North in the finish,” he said. 

An equally delighted Tigers captain and champion centre half-forward, Royce Hart, couldn’t resist looking ahead to the 1975 season . . .

“Now we have the chance to go on and win three flags in-a-row. I was tremendously proud to be able to play in this one. I think this team is good enough to go on to another one. It was a great team effort.”

Match details
Richmond                            3.8       10.11     12.17     18.20 (128)
North Melbourne               3.2         8.3           11.4       13.9 (87)

Goals – Richmond: Richardson 5, Hart 3, Balme 2, Sheedy 2, Green 2, Cumming, Walsh, Thorpe, Cloke.

Leading disposal winners – Richmond: Sheedy 29, Bartlett 27, Sproule 24, Hart 22, Thorpe 22, Walsh 19.

Best – Richmond: Sheedy, Hart, Sproule, Green, Balme, Walsh.

Goals – North Melbourne: Wade 4, Cable 2, Kekovich 2, Briedis, Burns, Greig, Peterson.

Leading disposal winners – North Melbourne: Cable 25, Greig 21, Feltham 19, W. Schimmelbusch 19, Burns 18, Rantall 18.

Best – North Melbourne: Greig, Cable, W. Schimmelbusch, Rantall, Smith, Burns.

Crowd: 113,839

Richmond’s 1974 premiership team

B: M. Keane, D. Clay, G. Andrews

HB: F. Bourke, R. McGhie, K. Morris

C: W. Walsh, D. Thorpe, B. Wood

HF: D. Cloke, R. Hart (captain), P. Sproule

F: N. Balme, B. Richardson, D. Cumming

R: M. Green, K. Sheedy, K. Bartlett

Reserves: B. Roberts, C. Clayton

Coach: T. Hafey

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