For a generation of Richmond fans, whose childhoods either just caught the end of, or just missed, the Tigers’ last era of greatness, it has been 35 years of pain, false hope, and disappointment.
Not this time.
Born a few days before Richmond lost the 1972 grand final, I sat on the floor a metre from the telly to watch the 1980 grand final. Dad went to the game, I was upset he didn’t take me, but he said “next time”.
In ’81, I was dumbfounded that we could miss the finals (no David Cloke, no Richmond). In ’82, we watched the grand final at home. I was in tears when Carlton kicked away in the second quarter, excited when Maurice (to say ‘Rioli’ is unnecessary to Tigers – there is only one Maurice) led the fight back, and in tears again by the end.
In ’83, we were Lost in the Woods, Without a Cloke, When it Raines. I still remember that Collingwood banner from our match at VFL Park, when Phil Walsh tore us a new one.
In 1984, Brian Taylor led us to a 6-3 start to the season, before it all fell away. I had a footy-themed 12th birthday party, and cheered the Bombers home. As a kid, you love footballers. I loved Tim Watson, Vander, and Leon Baker (and especially Neale Daniher, on whom fate has never let up).
Then things got real bad. We won the spoon. The club nearly went under. First Fitzroy and then Geelong became my ‘September team’. From an expectation of success, we clung to anything. A 17-year-old Matty Knights bore the promise of better days. The win in the wet against Carlton in ’89 had us doing cartwheels. One of five wins for the year.
Save Our Skins. The 1990s. The laughing stock.
The ’93 Escort Cup grand final. 75,000 to a practice match. We won four games for the season.
Richo. Thank the gods for Matthew Richardson. He was us. All our hopes, our wishes, our dreams, our desperate need and impotent rage, personified. God, I love that man. Like a brother.
GSP Images
1995, Scotty Turner smashing the Bombers. Knighter bouncing a swathe through ’em. Brodders. Tough. Good.
False hope. Swooper gone. Walls, burnt-out. The Giesh Unleashed.
False.
9th.
9th.
9th.
Spud. The assistant coach of the wooden spooners was the only one we could get to take on our job.
2001. Flogged in two out of three finals, squeaked in the third against a team that would win the spoon the following year.
The most important part of list management is knowing where you are. The idiots at the wheel thought we were close, so we traded out of a superdraft. We gave up a first-round pick for four years of Greg Stafford. James Kelly was taken with that pick. Stevie J seven picks later, and Sam Mitchell the pick after we drafted David Rodan. Freo would have given us pick one for Darren Gaspar. We could have had Luke Hodge. Or Chris Judd.
So Richmond. Something went right, and we did everything wrong. We lost 48 of our next 66 matches.
Wallet. The Fraud. I never wanted him. I prayed we’d draft Buddy Franklin. We got Richard Tambling. But we got Brett ‘Lids’ Deledio, who was 17 and brilliant and our Matty Knights hope rose again. We had Batman and Robin, we were 7-2, and Robin was the best player in the comp, until the Etihad sand shifted under his feet.
We won three more games for the season.
9th.
9th.
Last.
By 2009 we couldn’t even lose right. Melbourne – *smile*ing Melbourne – cheated us out of one of the first two picks.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith).
But we got Dusty Martin, and we saw that it was Good. We lost the first nine in 2010 but we had hope again. Damien ‘Dimma’ Hardwick said the jumper would never hit the floor, and it didn’t for years. We beat Port in the wet and celebrated like it was Carlton in ’89. Jack Riewoldt emerged, as a superstar. In 2012, Trent Cotchin – the third iteration of 17-year-old Genius Hope – did likewise. We were Going Places.
2013. Storming towards the top four, we blasted eight past Carlton in the first quarter of Round 21. It was brilliant, exhilarating footy. But we lost the match. Fifth versus ninth in the elimination. 95,000. The biggest roar ever. Six goals up. Lost.
2014. 3-10. Gone. Nine in a row. Exhilarating. What a ride. A mate and I drove through the night to Adelaide. The team was more spent than us.
2015. A repeat of 2013, substituting North for Carlton.
2016. A debacle.
2017. Wow.
What a ride.
It’s been a rollercoaster. It’s been one of those ones that shoots you straight up and plummets you right back down. At times, it’s been a ghost train.
Now, it feels like a V8, on a newly bitumaned, open highway. Brocky’s driving. It feels smooth, and powerful, but we’re all waiting for a gasket to blow and leave us thirsty in the desert again.
Not this time. Not this *smile*ing time.
We might not win the flag. We might not win tomorrow. But we’ll get where we’re going. It’s hard for us to believe. It doesn’t feel real. That after 35 years, our childhood, our youth, our young adulthood of pain and misery, that as we reach middle age, we might finally find happiness.
But we will.
It’s hugging strangers time.
spook
Roar Rookie
What a miserable life you must have, Peter.
spook
Roar Rookie
Oh, hey Geoff. Man, I'm spitting chips I cost the Tigers a flag. My poor head! :D
Dier-ba-zor
Guest
Computers were invented in 1946.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
I just can't decide what would be best, Richmond losing by 110 or 1 point. Either way, making the grand final doesn't guarantee you'll be up there again next year. Just ask the Doggies. Oh the joy for Richmond to lose by a point and finish 9th again next year.
Geoff Schaefer
Guest
That's the wonderful thing about footy Perry. As a Crow's fan, your worst memory in 98 is one of my best! Second only to the 87 GF of course. It is these memories that build the great rivalries we all share. And why we seldom have a "soft spot" for any other team. There is nearly always a rival out there that at some stage has destroyed our season in a single game.
Perry Bridge
Guest
It's funny that as a North Melb member I find myself wishing Richmond to win this year - I've been on them all finals - after all, the Tiger Army is mobilised and good on 'em - those fans have put up with a fair bit of pain over the journey. In fact - part of the pain of that journey was inflicted by my Rooboys - the '95 Qualifying final saw North steam home with 6 goals to 3 in the final to turn a 3/4 time 9 pt advantage into a comfortable 30 point win. Richmond had finished 3rd and North 6th (3+6=9) - ironically enough, that set Richmond on the path to play Essendon and fall to Geellong in the prelim. It set North on the path to meet the dominant Blues in the Prelim - and when it started raining we knew we were gone - Madden would be too good for McKernan and Bradley was a super wet weather performer. Ah well. Richmond though were smashed by 89 in the prelim by the Cats. And then in 2015 - the Elim final - Rich finished 5th and North 8th. North had rested players for the Rnd 23 clash with the same opposition (who it must be said were a goal and a half down at half time to practically our 2nd string line up). The Tiger Army mobilised (like they had down 2 years earlier). 90,186 at the G on a sunny afternoon. It felt like a final. Richmond was more efficient with a 7 goal straight 2nd term (a little umpiring charity along the way....), North 6.8 were wasteful and 13 down at half time after Richmond had kick 3 of the last 4 goals and they went into the half time break full of confidence. But 5.5 to 3.0 in the 3rd gave North a 3/4 time lead - of only 4 pts - Richmond hadn't missed since the Griffiths behind late in the 1st term. Last qtr North 4.2 to 2.1 and 30 scores to 18 delivered North a 17 point win. The Tiger Army had been withstood - and their 'journey' to next Saturday had taken another painful turn. For me - that day was one of the best games I'd been to - one of the greatest atmospheres - and my sister in law who is a Tiges member had to sit through it with my North following family. I hope the Tiges can do it for her next week. But - most of all - I still hate Adelaide with a vengeance. That song still gives me shivers. 1998 still hasn't been erased. Actually yesterdays weather reminded me very much of the weather that day in '98 - hot, windy - if only that had been a twilight Grand Final. Did anyone else notice the 'taster' of holding a twilight Prelim final. It worked. You could run that as a GF.
Brian Wallace
Guest
Any danger of checking your facts about the years we came ninth ?
The real SC
Roar Rookie
The last time Richmond played in a Grand Final - AFL didn't exist until 1991 - Most other current AFL players weren't born on that day - South Melbourne was relocated to Sydney - Digital Television wasn't invented at that time - Malcolm Fraser was PM of Australia - Social media wasn't invented as well as computers - Melbourne population was approximately 2 million - Channel Ten didn't have a Perth station.
Leonard
Guest
"For Tiger fans, 35 years of pain is gone" - well, maybe at the time of posting, but it'll be back with knobs on if GeeDub win, and if the Tigers win this weekend and lost next weekend, ditto - with bigger knobs! Nice to be hopeful, but better to wait and see . . . . . . .
Shane
Guest
Can't wait for Deledio to do aeroplanes after kicking the winning goal today.
Harry Kellerman
Guest
And GWS didnt get any picks before 2010. Lot of catching up to do. And they've only played 1 game on MCG this year. So unfair
Rod
Guest
Would there be a significant bandwagon factor affecting that number?
Gerard Saldanha
Guest
I have always been a TIGER, but when I noticed the Premiership Flag in 2017 - 2018, and also saw the end of the world, I even from an atheist re-became a Catholic. The world will 100% end between 2017 - 2018. Go TIGERS.
David C
Guest
They had more concessions than the GC, but that doesn't explain why GC is now a basket case.
Leonard
Guest
And a loss tonight, or a win then a loss next Saturday, a very excruciating offseason.
Ditraversa
Guest
That's what I love about Footy. Some bloke pours out 35 years of pain and suffering on the page and the first three comments in response? Faux sympathy, a big 'C'mon' for the opposition and downright derision... absolutely Gold. No quarter given. Btw, did anyone read the Herald Sun article about Richmond vs GWS being the 'Battlers vs Billionaires' this morning? As a non-GWS fan but proud New South Welshman I love this stuff from the Victorians. I would love to see Richmond win (as a neutral) but all these 'unfair' cries over GWS are nonsense. The argument is simple: if GWS were team picked to win then what about the basket case on the Gold Coast? Given just as many concessions as GWS. What does it say about a team that they've kept this team together through they're first 5 years? GWS seem like a pretty tight-knit and determine bunch to me.
Lroy
Guest
Every February and March while the weather is hot and players are running up sand-dunes the Richmond faithful are proclaiming ''this year, will be the year of the Tig's '' Eventually they will be right.... but not this year.. ;-)
spook
Roar Rookie
Nope, not content. Just no longer miserable. Also, how supporters feel has absolutely nothing to do with how the team plays.
truetigerfan
Guest
Carna Tigers! Eat 'em alive! Let's stick it up all the naysayers and go all the way! It'sTiger Time!
Gyfox
Guest
Loved this article, Luke. Not too many football clubs anywhere in the world (let alone Australia) would get the 95,000 expected at today's game.