Round 1 – Carlton v Richmond: Fifty years on, the Blues do it again.
Matt Harvey
It was so great to be back – back at the ‘G, back with crowds, back with Footy and back with the Blues and the Tiges kicking off the season on a warm March evening.
It took me back to that Saturday afternoon in October 1972. I was eight and a ladies’ ticket had miraculously appeared in time for the Second Semi Replay two weeks before. Again it was Blues and Tiges having drawn 8.13.61 apiece the week before. We were in the white shorts. They beat us soundly. That meant we had to play the Prelim v St Kilda. Despite Cowboy Neale and his confreres, we won!
So it was back to the G third week in a row with my great-aunt Win and Jeff Kennett’s grandmother Gladdy Fanning for the Big One. I was resplendent in my Carlton jumper, Geoff Southby’s 20 on the back.
The Blues looked different in the navy shorts – bigger and more numerous. And that’s how they played. What a game! It rained goals. We had 8 to quarter time: 8.4 to 5.4. In the second, we scored 10 to lead 18.6 to 10.9. You’d think we were safe but remember Collingwood in 1970!
A brass band at half time was a far cry from Meatloaf!.
Another 7 in the third to lead 25.9 to 15.15 (at least the Tigers were consistent!) and even though they piled on 7 in the final quarter to our 3, we were home by 27 points 28.9.177 To 22.18.150.
Fast forward to 2022 and the traditional season opener at the G. Carlton has lost the last 11 of these and has not played finals since 2013 (when ironically we beat Richmond having been subbed into the 8 by Essendon’s expulsion). Meanwhile Richmond have won three of the last five flags and even though they declined last year, they were firm favourites this time.
The first quarter would have tended to support that assessment. Richmond got the first goal and Carlton messed about. At quarter time, it was Richmond by 20 4.5.29 to 1.3.9
But Q2 was a different story with Blues piling on 4.6 including several posters to Richmond’s 2 behinds to lead 5.9 to 4.7 at half. It didn’t look like a 4 goal breeze but it did on the scoreboard.
Richmond poured it on in the third 6.2 to Carlton’s 2.3 with another poster to lead 69-54 at three quarter time.
The Blues stormed home with 7 goals to one in the final quarter to win 14.17.101 to 11.10.76.
Only half as many goals as 1972, but a similar margin! There was another link to the past with Zac Fisher wearing Jezza’s No25 and Adam Saad in Robert Walls’ 42. We also had a tall McKay running around, Harry, but he is not son of David.
It certainly didn’t help that Richmond lost Prestia and Riewoldt but Carlton with the addition of Cerra and Hewett in midfield looked very good for most of the night and would have won by much more if they had not had so many posters!
It wasn’t as good as a flag but after 50 years and the recent lean times, it still felt very good to win and brought back some very happy memories!
CARLTON 1.3 5.9 7.12 14.17 (101)
RICHMOND 4.5 4.7 10.9 11.10 (76)
GOALS
Carlton: Cripps 3, Durdin 2, Docherty, Hewett, Kennedy, McKay, Silvagni, O’Brien, Cerra, Fisher, Martin
Richmond: Bolton 3, Balta 2, Lynch 2, Aarts, Baker, Martin, Riewoldt
BEST
Carlton: Cripps, Kennedy, Docherty, Cerra, Hewett, Saad
Richmond: Short, Pickett, Bolton, Martin
INJURIES
Carlton: McGovern (back/hip)
Richmond: Prestia (hamstring)
SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Nil
Richmond: Ralphsmith (for Prestia in second quarter)
Crowd: 72,179 at the MCG
Votes: 3. Cripps. 2. Kennedy 1. Docherty
More Round 1 reports can be read HERE
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My dad and sister Maree were big Tigers fans 50 years ago so I got to watch a lot of the Carlton v Richmond games on all four channels. It was genuine no rules football. Geoff Southby was a magnificent defender. Good choice of number.