With Richmond’s fifth pick in the recent National Draft, Reece McKenzie, having a strong basketball background, and former Tiger Kayne Pettifer having made a successful start to his boxing career, here’s a selection of players throughout Tigerland history, who shone at other sports . . .
Ray Allsopp, 21 games for Richmond (1955-56; 1958-59): Played district cricket seniors, as a batsman, with Richmond and University.
Graeme Bond, 115 games (1967-73; 1975-77): A professional runner during the off-season, who won the Leongatha, Dandenong and Maryborough Gifts.
Todd Breman, 25 games (1992-93): Was a West Australian Sheffield Shield cricketer, before moving to Victoria to play football for the Tigers.
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Barry Cameron, 96 games (1959-66): Played district cricket seniors with Melbourne during the 1960s.
Blair Campbell, 8 games (1966; 1968): Played district cricket seniors for Prahran and then went on to play Shield cricket with Victoria and Tasmania. A left-arm wrist spinner and handy lower-order batsman, who was a member of the Victorian team that won the Sheffield Shield in 1969-70.
Mark Chaffey, 166 games (1997-06): Had a stint playing baseball in America at Alabama, after impressing as a baseballer with Melbourne club the Waverley Reds.
Justin Charles, 54 games (1995-98): Played baseball with the Melbourne Monarchs and then went over to the U.S. to try out with the Florida Marlins.
Don Davenport, 56 games (1964-67; 1969, 1971): Played sub-district cricket with Camberwell and captained its 1982-83 premiership side. Also had a season of senior district cricket with North Melbourne, in 1973-74.
Brett Deledio, 214 games (2005-): An outstanding junior cricket prospect, who was invited to join the Victorian State squad by the late David Hookes. He declined the offer, however, to focus on his future AFL career.
Tim Gepp, 57 games (1983-85): Was a left-arm pace bowler with the Australian under-19 cricket team. Then played senior district cricket in Perth with Scarborough.
Nick Jewell, 1 game (1997): The son of Richmond’s last premiership coach was a successful opening batsman for the Victorian Sheffield Shield side over the past few years.
Robert Lamb, 58 games, 120 goals (1973-78): Played district cricket seniors, as an all-rounder, with Melbourne and was a member of its 1975-76 premiership side.
Bill Lang, 14 games (1908-09): Fought Canada’s Tommy Burns for boxing’s World Heavyweight title in 1908, but was knocked out in the sixth round. Went on to win the Australian Heavyweight title, by knockout, in 1909.
Cyril Lilburne, 74 games (1926-29): Played sub-district cricket with Elsternwick. Later on (1941), he was the Australian Lawns Bowls fours champion.
Bernie Lunn, 28 games (1925-26; 1928-29): Played district cricket seniors with Richmond in 1925-26.
Alan “Dizzy” Lynch, 2 games (1976): Australian middle-distance running champion. Won the 3200-metres race at Stawell.
Des Martin, 6 games (1942): Won the Gippsland Bantamweight boxing title in 1933. Later on, won the Gippsland 25-mile cycling race.
William McKenzie, 4 games (1958): Won the Australian Jujior Diving Championship in 1949.
Keith Millar, 37 games, 38 goals (1924-27; 1930): Played district cricket seniors with Hawthorn-East Melbourne and also represented Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.
Vic Naismith, 31 games (1956-58): A javelin thrower, who was in line to represent Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, but missed qualifying due to a shoulder injury. Was in the top three for the javelin event in Australia at the time.
Ian Sartori, 18 games (1982-83; 1985): Played district cricket seniors with North Melbourne, as an all-rounder, 1976-89.
Kevin Sheedy, 251 games (1967-79): Played district cricket with Richmond in the mid-1970s, as a leg-spinner. Was set to replace Jim Higgs in a district grand final, until the football club refused him permission to play.
George Smeaton, 149 games (1935-42; 1944-46): Played district cricket seniors with Richmond 1936-40, as a fast bowler.
Ray Steele, 41 games (1940-43): An all-rounder with district cricket clubs University and Hawthorn-East Melbourne. Later on, became a successful cricket administrator, spending 18 years with the Australian Cricket Board, 16 of them as treasurer. Subsequently received an O.B.E. for his services to cricket.
Brian Taylor, 43 games, 156 goals (1980-84): Was a member of the West Australian Schoolboys’ basketball team.
Billy Williams, 9 games (1948-49): Won the 1956 Stawell Gift and the 1960 Portland Gift.
