Throughout 2026, we are cranking up the Tigerland time machine and transporting yellow and black barrackers back to 1966 to relive a pivotal year in Richmond’s history.

We turn our attention today to the Tigers' clash with North Melbourne in Round 8 of the ’66 season. Here is the match report that appeared in The Age newspaper, written by Trevor Davis...

North Melbourne, let down by shocking inaccuracy, and Richmond, worried by an attack which never worked systematically, fought out a nerve-tingling draw before 33,959 spectators at the MCG yesterday.

The scores were level for the last six minutes, and in that time winning chances were created and then lost.

At one stage, the Tigers had play pinned in their forward pocket for three minutes. First Hogan, and then Patterson, twice, grabbed the ball from the throw-in, and kicked out of bounds when it seemed they must score.

Then it was North’s turn, but a costly fumble at centre half-forward, and shortly afterwards a slurred kick by Rogers from well within range, left the scoreboard unchanged at 71 points each.

North looked unlucky not to have caused the upset of the day.

Richmond scored 1.5 in an inaccurate first quarter, but after that received good value from most opportunities by kicking 9.6.

In contrast, North, after scoring 2.3 in the first term, dismayed its supporters with spendthrift kicking which registered only 6.20 from as many shots.

The ruck duels were not decisive, although North probably finished a shade ahead there through the efforts of Quade and Allan.

But it was across the centre that Richmond, without Barrot, was almost to the point of losing the game.

North, particularly in the first half, was powered into attack almost monotonously through the dominance of Dwyer and Johnson on the wings, while Benton, although less effective, still had Moore well covered in the centre.

Richmond swung Dean to the centre from half-forward in the third term, and he did much better, although not sufficient to alter the balance of power.

Both North wingmen were creative, Johnson to the point where he ended as best man on the ground; his pace, determination and uncanny ball handling doing much to push attacks past what, at best, was a spasmodically effective half-forward line.

One of the reasons North struggled so hard across half-forward was because Richmond’s Michael Perry, switched from full-back to centre half-back in a pre-game defence reshuffle, marked brilliantly and cut short many dangerous moves.

The Tigers never developed any real purpose and understanding in attack – reflected in that 10 different players kicked their 10 goals.

Men like big Paddy Guinane, at the spearhead, and half-forward flanker John Northey, who must play well for the Tigers to “fire” up forward, were, for the most part, bottled up by a defence that gave nothing at all away.

Another problem was the eclipse of “boom” recruit Dick Clay at centre half-forward by Peter Steward.

One thing the Tigers did not lack was determination – and this enabled them to go from eight points down to eight points up midway through the last quarter.

It was not enough, however, to hold an equally determined North, which rebounded to level the scores, and could have won but for a string of five behinds when goals were badly needed.

Match details
Richmond        1.5    3.7    7.9    10.11 (71)                
North Melbourne    2.3    4.10    6.15    8.23 (71)

Goals – Richmond: Brown, Clay, Dean, Dimattina, Guinane, Hammond, Hogan, Northey, Ronaldson, Sheahan.
Leading possession-winners – Richmond: Brown 15, Hogan 15, Patterson 15, M. Perry 15.
Best – Richmond: M. Perry, Dean, Madigan, Dimattina, Patterson, Northey, Strang.

Goals – North Melbourne: Goode 3, Delanty, Ibrahim, McCarthy, Quade, Rogers.
Leading possession-winners – North Melbourne: Johnson 26, Dugdale 18, Karanicolas 18, Allan 17.
Best – North Melbourne: Johnson (best on ground), Steward, Dwyer, Allan, Dugdale, Dowdle, Goode.

Attendance: 33,959