mianfei
Club Legend
One of the most remarkable facets of VFL/AFL history that I have noted for a long time is the striking parallel between the following three pairs of games between Richmond and Footscray:
The striking thing about these three pairs of games is:
1958:
Code:
Round 2 (Punt Road, April 19):
Richmond 7-4 (46) 12-5 (77) 17-10 (112) 21-12 (138)
[COLOR=Blue]Footscray 2-2 (14) 10-6 (66) 12-7 (79) 14-12 (96)[/COLOR]
Round 13 (Western Oval, July 19):
[COLOR=Blue]Footscray 5-1 (31) 6-1 (37) 8-7 (55) 14-12 (96)[/COLOR]
Richmond 0-4 (4) 1-5 (11) 2-8 (20) 2-11 (23)
1979:
Code:
Round 8 (MCG, May 26):
Richmond 6-8 (44) 10-15 (75) 17-23 (125) 22-26 (158)
[COLOR=Blue]Footscray 3-2 (20) 6-7 (66) 8-7 (55) 12-13 (85)[/COLOR]
Round 19 (Western Oval, August 11):
[COLOR=Blue]Footscray 3-5 (23) 7-13 (55) 10-13 (73) 13-19 (97)[/COLOR]
Richmond 1-1 (7) 3-2 (20) 5-3 (33) 6-5 (41)
1989:
Code:
Round 2 (MCG, April 8):
Richmond 6-0 (36) 10-3 (63) 21-8 (134) 24-12 (156)
[COLOR=Blue]Footscray 6-5 (41) 8-5 (53) 9-6 (60) 13-10 (88)[/COLOR]
Round 20 (Western Oval, August 19):
[COLOR=Blue]Footscray 5-7 (37) 7-8 (50) 12-10 (73) 15-17 (107)[/COLOR]
Richmond 1-1 (7) 3-5 (23) 3-8 (26) 3-11 (29)
The striking thing about these three pairs of games is:
- That in all six games, Footscray's score was within an extraordinarily narrow range (from 85 to 107 points)
- But Richmond were in the words of Stephen Rodgers' 1986 The Complete Book of VFL Records, "not so consistent".
- As can be seen, Richmond kicked in the three home games an average of 150 points
- However, in the later Western Oval games the Tigers could kick a total of only eleven goals twenty-seven behinds, or an average of thirty-one points!
- In fact, in all three years Richmond's score at the Western Oval ranked among the eight lowest scores of that season:
- their 1958 score there was the second lowest for the season
- their 1979 score there was the third lowest for that season but the lowest against any side other than Collingwood
- Both Footscray's 1958 and 1989 wins at the Western Oval were at the time their biggest ever over Richmond (not broken until 2006).
1958:
10. Richmond (7 wins, 11 losses; 1425 points for 1611 points against)
11. Footscray (6 wins, 12 losses; 1401 points for, 1440 points against)
1979:11. Footscray (6 wins, 12 losses; 1401 points for, 1440 points against)
8. Richmond (9 wins, 13 losses, 2451 points for; 2512 against)
9. Footscray (7 wins, 14 losses, one draw; 2015 points for, 2463 against)
1989:9. Footscray (7 wins, 14 losses, one draw; 2015 points for, 2463 against)
13. Footscray (6 wins, 15 losses, one draw; 1614 points for, 1855 against)
14. Richmond (5 wins, 17 losses, 1725 points for; 2434 points against)
Wet weather likewise cannot explain Richmond's low scores at the Western Oval. The 1958 and 1989 games were played on perfectly dry days or nearly so. Even in 1979, when Round 19 was played in shocking conditions as I recall from reading Age microfilm, Round 8 was the wettest day of the season before that and Richmond still had 48 shots at goal with Cloke unstoppable at centre-half forward.
In wonder if there are any people other than me who have noticed the striking parallels between there three pairs of games (as I have ever since 1989)?
Anybody have some thoughts on the matter, or, better still, does anyone actually recall all these games and notice the parallels??
14. Richmond (5 wins, 17 losses, 1725 points for; 2434 points against)
Wet weather likewise cannot explain Richmond's low scores at the Western Oval. The 1958 and 1989 games were played on perfectly dry days or nearly so. Even in 1979, when Round 19 was played in shocking conditions as I recall from reading Age microfilm, Round 8 was the wettest day of the season before that and Richmond still had 48 shots at goal with Cloke unstoppable at centre-half forward.
In wonder if there are any people other than me who have noticed the striking parallels between there three pairs of games (as I have ever since 1989)?
Anybody have some thoughts on the matter, or, better still, does anyone actually recall all these games and notice the parallels??