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    Thursday, August 27, 2009

    UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS


    Rhettrospective.com has relaunched.
    Simply go to www.rhettrospective.com   (and bookmark that page).
    That is where you will find a treasure trove of Richmond information from the past and present

    - Rhett Bartlett.

    Saturday, August 22, 2009

    Coming Soon... Rhettrospective.com will be relaunched to provide footy fans with more information and the opportunity to contribute their 'Tiger' knowledge.

    - Rhett Bartlett.

    Sunday, August 2, 2009

    Goal after the siren

    With his goal after the siren to win the game, Jordan McMahon joins an elite of Richmond players to have achieved the feat.

    1.  Doug Strang - Rd 14 vs Carlton  1932

    2. Paul Sarah - Rd 19 vs StKilda  
    1981

    3.  Jordan McMahon - Rd 18 vs Melbourne  2009

    All three occurrences, happened in August.
    And so, searching through my archives, I have come across the newspaper report of Doug Strang's after the siren goal to beat Carlton in 1932, (courtesy of The Argus), thereby becoming the first Richmond player to achieve that feat.

    Monday, July 27, 2009

    The End of the Era

    This is the last line-up of the Richmond Football Club for Season 1925.  Published in the Argus Newspaper it shows the teams for the Rd 17 clash against Melbourne.

    It was the last appearance for Richmond of two champions. 
    Playing in the back pocket this day, Frank Harley finished his career on 114 games, 63 goals, and 2 premierhips.

    It was also the last time Vic Thorp appeared in an official game of football for Richmond.  He would finish his career on 262 games and 2 premierships.   Still to this day, Richmond's greatest ever full-back.

    Sunday, July 19, 2009

    Pre Season in 1923

    A wonderful picture from an era passed.  Located in The Argus newspaper archive, this photograph, showing Vic Thorp (on the right) in an intra-club practice match.  One team wore black and yellow, the other, wore all black.

    I am unsure who the other players are. Difficult to identify- but it is from the pre season of the 1923 season.

    Tuesday, July 14, 2009

    Vic Thorp in action



    A rarely seen picture, first printed in the Argus of 1923.
    Shows Vic Thorp (left) clearing the ball from defence for Richmond in Rd 12, with Carlton's Alex Duncan close by.  It is unclear who the other Richmond player is, the guernsey certainly starts with a 2... but is the other number a 6? or a 0?  or a 9 ?  

    Tuesday, July 7, 2009

    Footy on the wireless... 80 years ago.



    Rhettrospective.com turns back the clock to the The Argus, on July 12th 1929
    where an article appears promoting the 'Wireless Broadcasting Programme'  on 3LO for Saturday.
    Check out the short 10 minute burst of broadcasting of Richmond vs StKilda and other matches.


    (article located by Rhett Bartlett)

    Monday, July 6, 2009

    Sheedy for Coach.... now where have I seen that before ?

    Sheedy for Richmond coach ?
    Well it's De Ja Vu, especially if you recall the time around when Tom Hafey dramatically left the club in 1976.

    The article on the left , is a snippet from 'The Age' in late 1976, showing that the club had Sheedy's name on a short list to take over from Tom Hafey.

    The eventual coach... Barry Richardson.

    Monday, June 29, 2009

    Richmond looking for a new coach next season.... try the paper.


    Back in 1933, Richmond needed a new coach.
    At the end of 1932, the Premiership coach Frank 'Checker' Hughes left Richmond and went to Melbourne, after the secretary Percy Page lured him with the promise of a job in his printing factory.
    So the Richmond Football Club advertised the position of the 'non playing coach' in The Argus in January of 1933.

    Attached is the actual advertisement.  Former Richmond VFA player Billy Schmidt saw it, and submitted his application, and was elected Richmond coach.  He took the club to the 1933 Grand Final, but lost to Sth Melbourne. 
    He never coached Richmond again.


    Monday, June 1, 2009

    Polly Perkins passes


     It has been reported to Rhettrospective.com, (by Richmond Historian Bill Meaklim)
     that 1943 Premiership player William 'Polly' Perkins has passed away aged 89.

    Perkins was the last remaining member of the 1943 Premiership side.



    Sunday, April 26, 2009

    Webpage designer ?


     Hi there.

     If anyone has website building capabilities, I would like to hear from you , as I am wanting to relaunch the site to contain multiple pages covering former player details,  game stats, reader questions, photograph pages etc.

    If you think you could help, please drop me a line to rhettrospective@hotmail.com

    Sunday, February 8, 2009

    Rhettrospective Information throughout 2009


    =  Results of NAB Cup and NAB Challenge Matches located here:


    = Complete List of all senior Richmond players 1908-Present:

    =  Common Historical Richmond Questions, I am asked throughout the season, are located here- questions welcomed:
    (updated February 2009)

    = Breaking news will appear on this page, and also my twitter page (and twitter update on the right hand side)


    Thursday, January 15, 2009

    E.R.G.E.P project. 1982


     I am slowly uploading parts of my research involving every Richmond game ever played.
     As a starting block, I have uploaded the first few practice matches and games of 1982.
     They can be located on this link here.

     If anyone cant provide a better layout method, or space on their site or something that a project like 
     this could fit on, drop me a line at rhettrospective@hotmail.com

     I just can't see myself creating 100 different blogger pages (one for each year), and at the moment , this idea doesnt seem to complement into a printed book.

     Rhett Bartlett

    Thursday, January 8, 2009

    Common RFC Questions

    I have created a blog page which covers common or unusual RFC questions I get.
    Should you wish to contribute to this page with a question or answer then email me at rhettrospective@hotmail.com

    The RFC Question Page is now up and running.

    RFC Players 1908-Present

    A complete list of Richmond Football Club players, in debut order can be found at my newly created RFC Players blog

    Wednesday, December 17, 2008

    Photos from the Ben Cousins week.

    For what was is ultimately an historical moment for the club in its history- it was great to see two particular organisations capture the moment for posterity.

    Firstly, Mr James Buchanan - a freelance photographer and multimedia expert snapped approximately 120 shots from that day. And can be located at JBPROPHOTO

    A Richmond supporter, his decisions to document the majority of the players on film, allows everyone to understand the scope and magnitude of the day.

    Secondly, Slattery Media - official photographers of the AFL, have an extensive collection from the day and the press conference at GSP IMAGES

    If you have taken any photographs this week, you are welcome to send them to RFC Photos and I will post your photo up (with your credit of course) for all to see.


    - Rhett Bartlett

    Monday, December 1, 2008

    Guernsey Numbers

    Rhettrospective.com has learnt that Tyrone Vickery will receive the Number 29 Guernsey.

    It is believe that the remaining new draftees will be provided with guernsey numbers 37 and potentially 27.

    Saturday, November 29, 2008

    NAB Draft in a nutshell

    Richmond select 3 players in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

    Pick 8: Tyrone Vickery from Sandringham Dragons

    Pick 26: Jaydyn Post from Western Jets.

    Pick 58: Tom Hislop from Essendon FC

    Pick 70: Pass

    ------------------------

    It is worth nothing that if Vickery does end up playing League Football , he will become only the 5th Richmond player whose surname begins with a 'V', out of 1,077 Richmond players.
    (George Valentine 1924-1926, Stan Vandersluys 1953, Royce Vardy 2000-2003, Daryl Vernon 1981, 1985)

    We have had a HISLOP play with us before, Gordon Hislop (1923-1924) and Max Hislop (1917-24, 1927).

    Wednesday, November 26, 2008

    Vale Mr Max Oppy

    Max Oppy, one of the club's great rovers, has passed away at the age of 84.
    He was one of the last remaining 1943 Richmond Premiership players.

    Oppy was born Wiliam Max, grew up in Maryborough and barracked for Essendon.
    The great Dick Reynolds was his cousin. In the 1943 Grand Final- Oppy was only 18 years ago, and given the job of tagging the Essendon champion.

    If I was given a job to do I would do it to the best of my ability. They talk about taggers or whatever today, virtually that was my job for the day. Didn’t matter where he went on the field, whether he went off the ball, I went to the back pocket. Didn’t matter where dick Reynolds went , it was to keep him out of the play, because at that time he was the match winning rover and probably the best rover of the league at that time. That was the job , to blanket him and keep him out of the game.
    Dick got about 6 stitches in his eyes but that was alright, he snuck into my fist.
    - interview with Rhett Bartlett in Aug 2004.

    Richmond won that day, and Oppy was applauded by spectators and the media for his role.
    The following year, the Tigers lost the 1944 Grand Final to Fitzroy.

    Oppy played 185 games for Richmond, became a Life Member, and was inducted into the Richmond Hall of Fame, on the same night his life long friend, Des Rowe, was inducted. That had met each other when they were 15 years old, when Oppy's Richmond locker was next to his.

    His last game of football was Rd 18 1954 vs Collingwood- he was chaired off the ground, and later admitted that it bought him to tears.

    He also captained Richmond twice, both times when Des Rowe was unavailable. Coincidentally, both times were against Collingwood, and both times Richmond won.
    'My record as captain is the best at Richmond, tell you now' - he told me. He is right- 100% strike rate.

    He also coached the club in 1956, replacing Alby Pannam. Oppy coached for just that one year, winning 6 of the 18 games.
    As a coach I think Ill forget about it. I always say I am one of the sacked coaches. As Jack Dyer said there’s only two types of coaches, the sacked ones and the ones that are going to get sacked.

    In later life, he excelled at golf, winning a club chapmionship, and representated Australia at a Sportsman Event in England, the day after the British Open.

    When I met him for our interview 4 years ago, he was living in Sorrento, in a small house , by himself.
    He had scrapbooks on the table, easily recalled his first game of football, and was unfazed by a heart attack he had suffered earlier in the year.
    After our interview he led me outside to my car, across the road was an old cemetery, no more than 30 metres from his house.
    'Look on the bright side Rhett', he said ' when I die, I don't have far to go'

    RIP Mr Oppy.


    - Rhett Bartlett

    Saturday, November 15, 2008

    Belated Condolences

    I have only recently received notification of the passing of several Richmond footballers during the 2008 season.
    So I feel it necessary to list them here with a short bio

    1. Mr Frank Hughes Jnr
    Frank, was the son of Richmond 1932 Premiership Coach 'Checker' Hughes.
    I was lucky enough to meet Frank Hughes in 2003, whereby our interview formed the entire basis of the 'Checker' Hughes chapter in my book RICHMOND FC: A Century of League Football.
    You can read Frank's story from page 58- 61

    He had a great understanding of the key role his father played in Richmond's history, and Frank himself, played for Richmond in 1944 for 3 games (and later Melbourne 1945 8 games).
    Frank accepted his the award for his father's induction into the Richmond Hall of Fame.

    He passed away 1 April 2008 at the age of 86 years old.

    2. Mr Peter Sherman

    Peter died on July 30th 2008 at the age of 83 years.

    I interviewed Peter on 27 October 2001 at his home in the Sth East Suburbs.
    Of the interview, only 1 paragraph made it into my Richmond publication- page 74, Peter's wonderful description of the physical specimen Dyer was, once stripped in the dressing rooms.

    Peter played for Richmond in 1947 for only 2 games. However was a member of Richmond's 1946 Reserves Premiership.
    I recall he had wonderful knowledge regarding the Australian Navy, and its role during World War 2.

    On a side note, he is the only person I have interviewed, who bought along his own tape recorder for the interview.
    His suggestions on how to prepare for an interview (based on his history when creating an oral history of the Navy), is something I am grateful to have learnt.