If you kick 11 goals in a game of League football, you’d expect to receive the three Brownlow Medal votes as best on ground.
That, however, was not the case for Richmond’s superstar spearhead Michael Roach in Round 5 of the 1985 season against the competition’s reigning runner-up Hawthorn at Princes Park.
Roach produced a mighty display of full-forward play, booting 11 goals in the Tigers’ upset 39-point win in a 50-goal shoot-out.
But the three Brownlow votes went to brilliant centreman Maurice Rioli, who was at his dazzling best that day (Roach got two votes and Tiger teammate Michael Pickering, one).
Rioli had been involved in a lengthy legal wrangle with his former WA club South Fremantle, who claimed it had an agreement for him to return to play there.
The dispute was settled in Richmond and Rioli’s favour just a few days before the Hawks clash, and he responded in scintillating style.
Here is the Sunday Observer newspaper’s report of Maurice Rioli’s outstanding performance that late April day, 1985.
The Rioli magic returned to the football arena yesterday with a vengeance, as Princes Park sparkled with his brilliance.
Rioli strung together 17 kicks, three marks and 12 handpasses – they were the slickest and most effective handpasses that you’ve ever seen.
It wasn’t the figures and the stats that left a mark on the mind, but the sheer effectiveness of the man. It seemed that every effort from Rioli ended in a goal.
His ability to extricate the ball out of impossible situations has a Houdini touch.
During the second quarter Maurice shot a 30-metre handpass to his captain Mark Lee that would have done justice to anything that Polly Farmer produced 20 years ago.
Maurice Rioli can punch a ball through a keyhole.
His handpassing has great versatility and is a cut above the rest of the team. Rioli was a boxer in WA and the quickness of his hands always deceived the eye.
Yesterday, Rioli’s first quarter was ordinary, but he cut a swathe through the opposition for the rest of the day that must have had the Hawthorn camp hopping mad.
So far this year Rioli’s play has been good, but yesterday he was like a dog let off a chain. And it’s all because of the relief caused by victory in the legal battle between his club and South Fremantle.
Maurice is a free man and he feels it.
He’s been very worried about the injunction placed on him. The whole affair has been a concern to his family.
There has been great pressure on him because his old club wanted him back and thought they had legal grounds to claim him back, but as late as last Wednesday, the injunction was thrown out.
Richmond general manager Kevin Dixon knew before the match that Rioli would star. He had that happy relaxed look about him.
The Tigers had many plusses out of yesterday’s game, but the biggest was the magic of Maurice.
Match details
Richmond 5.5 13.10 23.11 29.14 (188)
Hawthorn 4.8 9.16 14.18 21.23 (149)
Goals – Richmond: Roach 11, James 4, M. Pickering 4, Landy 2, Weightman 2, Annear, Egan, Eustice, McKenna, Rioli, Rowlings.
Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Rioli 29, Burton 27, M. Pickering 26, Annear 23, Roach 20, Landy 19, McKenna 18.
Best players – Richmond: Rioli, Roach, Burton, M. Pickering, Egan, Lee.
Goals – Hawthorn: Brereton 6, Buckenara 3, Byrne 3, Knights 2, L. Matthews 2, Wallace 2, Dunstall, Kennedy, Russo.
Leading disposal-winners – Hawthorn: Wallace 32, Robertson 22, Ayres 21, Brereton 21, Buckenara 21, Eade 21, Tuck 21, Kennedy 20.
Best players – Hawthorn: Brereton, Buckenara, Ayres, Wallace, Byrne.
Attendance: 17,257
