Throughout 2025, we are transporting Richmond supporters back 60 years to what was a pivotal season in the Club’s history – 1965. Our focus today is on the Tigers’ Round 10 clash of the ’65 season against Geelong at Kardinia Park. Here is the match report from The Age newspaper by Trevor Davis.

Geelong reached one of its peaks of brilliance on Saturday and played the football that wins premierships.

It was too much for Richmond, which had pace and enthusiasm, but little penetration in attack.

This was largely because Northey and Guinane, who have been driving forces in Richmond’s many successes this season, for once let the Tigers down badly.

When they failed, Richmond’s goal getting became haphazard. Too much effort was expended for the results achieved.

However, when the Cats went forward it was a vastly different story. They had plenty of players ready to use opportunities with a minimum of waste.

Centre half-forward Gareth Andrews started with consistent marking.

Alongside him, Sharrock lent solid support, and the experiment of playing Alastair Lord on the other half-forward flank proved worthwhile. He showed encouraging glimpses of form.

But Geelong’s trump card in attack was full-forward Doug Wade, returning close to his best with seven goals.

He did everything right, leading smartly at the right time and to the right place, marking surely and kicking with a confidence and accuracy that encouraged his team-mates to look for him at every opportunity.

Richmond played well for three quarters and was never far behind on the scoreboard, even though it was struggling in attack.

It was kept in the game by superior pace, a slight ruck supremacy due almost entirely to the efforts of Neville Crowe – and unlimited enthusiasm.

Richmond’s enthusiasm was backed by the confidence bred from having achieved so much already this season and forced Geelong to bring all its experience and skill into play.

When it did, there was a distinct difference in class between the sides and by late in the third quarter, even though the Tigers continued to fight, they seemed to realise it was a day when their best would not be good enough.

Centreman Denis Marshall gave Geelong one of his best games since transferring from Western Australia, and it could not have come at a worse time for Richmond.

The Tigers this year have come to rely heavily on the brilliantly creative play of centreman Bill Barrot, and he has rarely let them down.

But Marshall, moving with the elusiveness of a shadow between the half-forward and half-back lines, seemed to have the ball on a string, and his classical display had everything – fine marking, pace, anticipation, sure handling and unerringly accurate disposal.

He eclipsed Barrot completely, and this was a handicap which cost Richmond dearly as the game progressed – particularly as Geelong also did well on both wings.

Geelong’s ability to play constructively under pressure was another decisive element in the game.

The Tigers never achieved Geelong’s economy of effort and added to their own problems by overdoing handball and short passing, when a thumping kick downfield was the answer.

Match details
Richmond    2.6    5.8    8.10    9.11 (65)                    
Geelong    3.2    6.6    10.7    12.9 (81)

Goals – Richmond: Erwin 3, Bartlett 2, Warner 2, Crowe, Dimattina.
Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Brown 23, Dean 18, A. Richardson 18, Davenport 17.
Best players – Richmond: Crowe, Warner, Brown, Bartlett, A. Richardson, Dickeson, Dean.

Goals – Geelong: Wade 7, Sharrock 2, Goggin, Newman, Polinelli.
Leading disposal-winners – Geelong: Marshall 29, Rosenow 22, Closter 19, Farmer 19, Polinelli 18.
Best players – Geelong: Marshall, Andrews, Polinelli, Wade, Watts, Closter, Farmer.

Attendance: 25,350.