Team of The Century

[Realistic Tiger]

I know that the club already have an official team of the century that was picked a few years back but I though seeing as though the 2008 season actually marks the 100 years of Richmond in the VFL/AFL perhaps we could select our own team of the century.

The way I see it working is everyone nominates their 10 best ever Richmond players (even if you never saw them play i.e. players like Jack Dyer/Skinny Titus). Once we get a list together of about 40-50 names we can use that to select the best possible 22.

Here is my 10 (no particular order):
Jack Dyer
KB
Titus
Roach
Weightman
Hart
Knights
Richo
B.Gale
Campbell.

At least it is something different to discussing endlessly the make up of the 08 side.

[Crumden]

Woulda thought St Francis would knock a few of those blokes out RT. Doubt Benny Gale would be in the top 50. In fact, doubt he'd be in the top 10 rcukmen, let alone top 10 players - Dyer, Wright, Crowe, Patterson, Balme, Lee, Green all better, just off the top of my head.

[Crumden]

The actual team of the century, to jog memories a bit.

Richmond Team of the Century
In 1998, Richmond announced its team of the twentieth century. The selection of the twenty two players shows an even spread of champions from all the eras of the club: Thorp from the club's first premiership wins of 1920-21; McCormack, Strang, Titus and Dyer from the inter-war years; Rowe, Morris and Wright from the battling era after the war; Richardson and Knights from recent times. But the great days from the late 1960s to the early 1980s provide the bulk of the side: Sheedy, Green, Keane, Bourke, Barrot, Clay, Hart, Dean and Bartlett who made up the core of Tom Hafey's teams, and later success stories Weightman and Raines. Ian Stewart, named on the bench, created a record as the only man to win selection in a team of the century at two clubs - he was named in the centre of St Kilda's team as well. Richmond has four players denoted below with an asterisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterisk) who are also members of AFL Team of the Century (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Team_of_the_Century). The second most of any club.
Richmond Team of the Century
B (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Full_Back):Kevin Sheedy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Sheedy_%28Australian_footballer%29) 1967-79, 180cm 81k, 251 games 91 goals
Vic Thorp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Thorp) 1910-25, 178cm 83k, 263 games 7 goals
Michael Green (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Green_%28Australian_rules_footballer%29) 1966-75, 193cm 94k, 146 games 83 goals

HB (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Centre_Half-Back):Basil McCormack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_McCormack) 1925-36, 180cm 80k, 199 games 1 goal
Gordon Strang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Strang) 1931-38, 185cm 83k, 116 games 108 goals
Mervyn Keane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervyn_Keane) 1972-84, 185cm 82k, 238 games 36 goals

C (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Midfield):Francis Bourke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bourke) * 1967-81, 185cm 83k, 300 games 71 goals
Bill Barrot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Barrot) 1961-70, 180 cm 76k, 120 games 91 goals
Dick Clay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Clay) 1966-76, 185cm 85k, 213 games 80 goals

HF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Centre_Half-Forward):Matthew Richardson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Richardson_%28Australian_rules_footballer%29) 1993- , 196cm 105k, 256 games 743 goals
Royce Hart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royce_Hart) * 1967-77, 187cm 86k, 187 games 369 goals
Roger Dean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Dean_%28Australian_rules_footballer%29) 1957-73, 175cm 73k, 245 games 204 goals

F (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Full_Forward):Dale Weightman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Weightman) 1978-93, 170cm 69k, 274 games 344 goals
Jack Titus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Titus) 1926-43, 175cm 66k, 294 games 970 goals
Bill Morris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Morris%28Australian_rules_footballer%29) 1942-51, 188cm 86k, 140 games 98 goals

Foll (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Followers):Roy Wright (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Wright) 1946-59, 188cm, 102k, 195 games 127 goals
Jack Dyer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dyer) * (capt) 1931-49, 185cm 89k, 312 games 443 goals
Kevin Bartlett (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Bartlett_%28Aussie_Rules_footballer%29) 1965-83, 175cm 71k, 403 games 778 goals

Int (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28Australian_rules%29_positions#Interchange_Bench) :Des Rowe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Rowe) 1946-57, 182cm 83k, 175 games 24 goals
Geoff Raines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Raines) 1976-82, 180cm 78k, 134 games 53 goals
Ian Stewart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Stewart_%28Australian_rules_footballer%29) * 1971-75, 180cm 78k, 78 games 55 goals
Matthew Knights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Knights) 1988-2002, 179cm 74k, 279 games 141 goals

Coach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_%28sport%29):Tom Hafey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hafey) Played 248 Won 173 Lost 73 Drawn 2

[Weaver]

Geoff Brown a well-known vet supporter of the club went for.

B: Martin Bolger Ron Durham Kevin O'Neill
HB: Basil McCormack Don 'Mopsy' Fraser Francis Bourke
C: Bryan Wood Geoff Raines Dick Clay
HF: Ian Stewart Royce Hart Roger Dean (vc)
F: Roy Wright Jack Titus Dick Harris
R: Bill Morris Jack Dyer (c) Kevin Bartlett
I: Kevin Sheedy John Northey
Coach: Tom Hafey

Club historian Bill Meaklin named a second-11 of guys who missed Geoff's team.


B: Max Oppy Vic Thorp Barney Herbet
HB: Mervyn Keane Des Rowe Bill Perkins
C: Biil Brown Bill Barrott Stan Judkins
HF: Barry Rowlings David Cloke Maurice Rioili
F: Percy Bentley (c) Michael Roach Neil Balme
R: Neville Crowe Paul Sproule Dale Weightman
I: Mark Lee Ray Poulter
Coach: Dan Minogue

I went for ...


B: Ron Branton Vic Thorp Kevin O'Neill
HB: Basil McCormack Des Rowe Merv Keane
C: Francis Bourke Mathew Knights Alan Geddes
HF: Kevin Bartlett Royce Hart Roger Dean
F: Percy Bently Jack Titus Dick Harris
R: Jack Dyer Roy Wright Dale Weightman
I: Bill Morris Kevin Sheedy Dick Clay
Coach: Tom Hafey


Other than giving the extra bench spot to Richo I don't know if I'd change too many. Obviously it is mostly based on history books so hard to have too strong an opinion.

I remember when doing it thinking how huge our ruck stocks were. There was probably a 60-year period where we always had one of the top 1-2 ruckmen in the league ... all the way up to Mark Lee going bad midway through his career.

And we have struggled a little for centreman. Raines, Rioli, Stewart were classy but had relatively brief careers.

[Crumden]

Big call putting Weightman first rover ahead of KB, Weaver. KB was a genius in the position before he 'retired' to the forward line.

Though Weightmans' perfomances for the Big V showed that his talent was wasted at Richmond in much of the period he played (after the early 80s). Could have been an even greater champion if he was part of a successful team for a greater part of his career.

[serpico66]

Cant have Knights ahead of Raines.

Raines' three best and Fairests (including the Premiership year) stack up better that Knights' 2 Best and Fairests in ordinary sides.

[Realistic Tiger]

Woulda thought St Francis would knock a few of those blokes out RT. Doubt Benny Gale would be in the top 50. In fact, doubt he'd be in the top 10 rcukmen, let alone top 10 players - Dyer, Wright, Crowe, Patterson, Balme, Lee, Green all better, just off the top of my head.
I know that I missed a few greats of the club but the point was trying to get a side based more on individuals opinions of players rather than just throwing up a lot of names from history. I suppose a few of the blokes I put down got my vote because they played for teams that had little success to make their careers seem as good as those who played in multiple flags and consistent finals series. Doesn't mean I don't recognise their achievements either, I just thought it would be rather boring and predictable if we just re hashed the same names over again.

[richoatthedisco]

I went for ...


B: Ron Branton Vic Thorp Kevin O'Neill
HB: Basil McCormack Des Rowe Merv Keane
C: Francis Bourke Mathew Knights Alan Geddes
HF: Kevin Bartlett Royce Hart Roger Dean
F: Percy Bently Jack Titus Dick Harris
R: Jack Dyer Roy Wright Dale Weightman
I: Bill Morris Kevin Sheedy Dick Clay
Coach: Tom Hafey


Other than giving the extra bench spot to Richo I don't know if I'd change too many. Obviously it is mostly based on history books so hard to have too strong an opinion.

I remember when doing it thinking how huge our ruck stocks were. There was probably a 60-year period where we always had one of the top 1-2 ruckmen in the league ... all the way up to Mark Lee going bad midway through his career.

And we have struggled a little for centreman. Raines, Rioli, Stewart were classy but had relatively brief careers.
Weaver do you honestly think Richo doesn't deserve a starting spot in richmond's best ever forward line. God we look at the past through rose-coloured glasses - for all his faults Richo is probably a better kick than most of the 'history book' players, and only Titus and KB have more goals for the tiges.

[Donstuie]

As an outsider, my opinion probably doesn't mean much. But I feel that the team of the century that's been picked already is pretty definitive.

[Weaver]

Big call putting Weightman first rover ahead of KB, Weaver. KB was a genius in the position before he 'retired' to the forward line.

Though Weightmans' perfomances for the Big V showed that his talent was wasted at Richmond in much of the period he played (after the early 80s). Could have been an even greater champion if he was part of a successful team for a greater part of his career.

I was influened by KB's 778 goals.

Cant have Knights ahead of Raines.

Raines' three best and Fairests (including the Premiership year) stack up better that Knights' 2 Best and Fairests in ordinary sides.

Problem with our centerman would be longevity. Raines only played 134 games. Knighter might not have been quite as good but 279 games edges it for me.

Weaver do you honestly think Richo doesn't deserve a starting spot in richmond's best ever forward line. God we look at the past through rose-coloured glasses - for all his faults Richo is probably a better kick than most of the 'history book' players, and only Titus and KB have more goals for the tiges.

Royce Hart is a champion of the game.

Titus is in the AFL Hall of Fame and kicked his goals in a low-scoring era - also got 2 premierships.

Barllett is champ with 700 goals of his own.

Percy Bentley is about recognising the great strenght of our club is ruckmen. Trying to squeeze them all in is tough. He is another premiership player, captain, coach and AFL Hall of Fame member.

Roger Dean is a champ.

Dick Harris was our best specialist small forward. 196 games and 548 goals.

I certainly don't think Richo being in the 18 is cut and dried. He has only just won his first B+F in a wooden-spoon team. Has played 3 finals in his career. Never been near a Grand Final let alone premiership. Never been captain. Never won a Coleman or Brownlow.

[Scarlett Letter]

I know that the club already have an official team of the century that was picked a few years back but I though seeing as though the 2008 season actually marks the 100 years of Richmond in the VFL/AFL perhaps we could select our own team of the century.

The way I see it working is everyone nominates their 10 best ever Richmond players (even if you never saw them play i.e. players like Jack Dyer/Skinny Titus). Once we get a list together of about 40-50 names we can use that to select the best possible 22.

Here is my 10 (no particular order):
Jack Dyer
KB
Titus
Roach
Weightman
Hart
Knights
Richo
B.Gale
Campbell.

At least it is something different to discussing endlessly the make up of the 08 side.

Vic Thorpe, a 2- time Brownlow equivelant back in the WW1 days. Was THE pioneer full- back.

Francis Bourke, I mean c'mon.