In the second part of a special 1971 Richmond Annual Report flashback series, leading into the Club’s 2021 Annual General Meeting on Monday, we reproduce an article from the publication on the Tigers’ key football personnel and the playing group from that season.
COACH
Senior Coach, Tom Hafey, again gave outstanding service in 1971. He was the man responsible for the Club climbing from sixth to a place in the Final Four and figuring prominently in the battle for the Premiership.
Tom suffered deep disappointment at the loss of the Preliminary Final, but we are certain that it will only act as a further spur to this dedicated man to win the Premiership in 1972 for the Club he loves so much.
ASSISTANT COACH
Verdun Howell proved of great assistance to the Senior Coach and capped off a fine season by the winning of the Reserve Grade Premiership. This was our first pennant in this Grade since 1966. Verdun has been an asset to the Tigers, as beyond his success in Reserve Grade football, he has developed many young players to senior status, and this is the major task of the Assistant Coach. In October, Verdun accepted a three-year contract to coach Claremont in West Australia where he has been transferred in his employment. The Club wishes him every success with his new club.
TEAM MANAGER
Mr. Graeme Richmond was appointed to the newly-formed position of Team Manager at the start of the year to ensure that every player was able to consistently give a 100 per cent. effort. His personal guidance and assistance was greatly appreciated by the players and the Club.
Graeme is a truly dedicated Tiger, and we thank him for the time he readily put into this position in spite of his ever-increasing business commitments.
PLAYERS
Roger Dean was appointed Captain for the fourth successive season. His leadership, courage, football knowledge and ability is all that we are accustomed to at Richmond. This year was Roger’s 15th with the Club – and honour that only five players before him have attained.
Royce Hart (Vice-Captain) gave valuable support to Roger. Royce had a fine year, finishing second in the Club Best and Fairest; he also topped the Club goal-kicking with 59 goals.
Kevin Bartlett was appointed Deputy Vice-Captain and played in every match, bringing his tally of consecutive games to 120 – a wonderful achievement by a fine player.
Club representatives who played in the Victorian Interstate team were: -- Kevin Bartlett, Royce Hart, Kevin Sheedy, Ian Stewart.
Kevin Bartlett and Ian Stewart played in the Interstate match against South Australia in Melbourne, whilst Royce Hart and Kevin Sheedy were chosen for the Western Australian match in Perth.
Kevin Bartlett was the only player who played in every game although Kevin Sheedy and Royce Hart only missed one and this was due to Interstate commitments.
Other players to participate in all but one game included Ray Boyanich, Dick Clay, Roger Dean, Barry Richardson and Ian Stewart who was injured whilst representing Victoria against S.A. in the Saturday match and was not fit in time to play Geelong on the following Monday.
Forty-one players participated in the senior team with 14 first-year players who included Grant Allford, Bill Beckwith, Darryl Cumming, Laurie Fowler, Bill Gehling, Malcolm Greenslade, Frank Kelly, Craig McKellar, Ian Miles, Kevin Morris, Mick Nunan, Brian Roberts, Ian Stewart and Bruce Tschirpig.
Three players kicked over 50 goals, which is an outstanding effort. The players were Royce Hart (59), Kevin Bartlett (53) and Barry Richardson (50). This equalled the record of the Melbourne Football Club of 1926 when three of their players performed a similar feat in their Premiership-winning team.
IAN STEWART – BROWNLOW MEDALLIST
Great honour was brought to the Tigers by champion centreman, Ian Stewart, who won football’s most prized individual award, the Brownlow Medal, in his first year with the Club.
Ian is the fourth Richmond player to win this valued trophy – Stan Judkins was successful in 1930; the late Bill Morris in 1948; and Roy Wright (who wore the same famous No. 2 guernsey as Ian) in 1952 and 1954.
