With Richmond playing North Melbourne in a practice match at Arden Street on Friday, Tony Greenberg reflects on the Tigers’ history at the ground.

Richmond’s first game against North Melbourne at Arden Street was in Round 10, 1925, which was the year the Kangaroos entered the VFL competition.

The Tigers scored an 18-point victory – 10.9 (69) to 7.9 (51) – and proceeded to win their next eight Arden Street encounters.

Included in that long winning run was the Round 13, 1931 match, notable for Tiger ‘Immortal’ Jack Dyer’s first full game of senior league football.

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Young Dyer had been selected as a reserve for his debut against North Melbourne early in the season at Punt Road but spent the entire match on the bench. Richmond amassed a then VFL record score of 30.19 (199) that day with full-forward Doug Strang booting a club record 14 goals.

In the return game at Arden Street that season, Dyer showed signs of his considerable potential and kicked a goal in Richmond’s 39-point win – 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69).

Two years later, in Round 13, 1933, the Tigers trounced North by 75 points – 20.11 (131) to 8.8 (56) – with Doug Strang scoring 10 goals.

What made that win even more meritorious was the fact the home team led by a sizeable 28 points at quarter-time.

The happy hunting ground Arden Street had initially been for Richmond turned into a wasteland from 1948-60, with just one Tiger win at the ground throughout that time.

Richmond’s return as a genuine force in the competition, under Tommy Hafey’s coaching guidance, coincided with another hot winning streak at Arden Street.

The Tigers won seven on-the-trot there from 1967-74 with talented, big forward Neil Balme taking a particular liking to the venue.

An 18-year-old Balme made his senior debut with Richmond in Round 20 of the 1970 season against North Melbourne at Arden Street and kicked four goals in an impressive display as the Tigers romped home by 58 points – 16.10 (106) to 7.6 (48).

The following year, Balme booted five goals v the Roos on their home deck in a 62-point Richmond victory – 22.14 (146) to 12.12 (84).

Then, in the Tigers’ 1973 premiership year (Round 14), Balme scored six goals there in a 39-point win – 17.15 (117) to 11.12 (78).

Richmond’s Arden Street winning streak in the golden Hafey era ended in Round 8 of the 1975 season with the Tigers going down by eight points – 9.12 (66) to 11.8 (74).

That game was noteworthy from a Richmond perspective for a couple of reasons . . .

Firstly, it was the long-awaited debut with the Tigers of South Melbourne star John Pitura, who had been hotly pursued by the Club for the best part of two years.

Secondly, the Richmond players that day wore yellow shorts for the first time.

Due the arrival of colour television in Australia that year, several VFL clubs decided to jazz up their uniforms by wearing coloured shorts.

The yellow shorts didn’t go down well with the Tiger players, and they were soon abandoned.

Probably Richmond’s most memorable moment at Arden Street occurred in Round 20 of the Club’s 1980 premiership year.

Revered Tiger veteran Francis Bourke copped a gruesome injury to his head late in the tight contest and was moved from full-back to full-forward by coach Tony Jewell.

With blood streaming down his face (no blood rule in those days), Bourke looked like a badly beaten boxer.

In typical style, however, St Francis bravely fought on, and he sealed a crucial win for the Tigers by taking a mark and steering through it through the big sticks despite his severely impaired vision.

No surprise that was voted Tigerland’s bravest act of the century when the Club celebrated its VFL/AFL centenary in 2008.

Richmond’s last win at Arden Street was in Round 12, 1984 – 16.14 (110) to North’s 14.10 (94).

Burly spearhead Brian Taylor was the star that day kicking six goals and polling the three Brownlow Medal votes.

The last game for premiership points between Richmond and North Melbourne at Arden Street took place in Round 20, 1985, with the Tigers suffering a 50-point defeat – 9.12 (66) to 16.20 (116).

All-up, Richmond played 49 games against the Roos at Arden Street for 28 wins and 21 losses.