When the AFL fixture was released late last year I was pleased to see the Tigers season opening with a couple of blockbusters against old rivals and the new tradition of Anzac Day Eve against the Demons all at the MCG.
However, my heart sank when I saw the Tigers were given the dreaded timeslot of Mother’s Day versus the Dockers.Until my son, Maxwell, was born early last year (placed on the MCC waiting list in his first week on the planet thanks to my brother Jonathan) I never missed a Tigers game in Melbourne and always enjoyed one or two Interstate trips a year to watch the yellow and black play.
Things have changed and I never thought I would be able to leave wife and son at home to see us tackle Fremantle on Mother’s Day. To my surprise (and perhaps bowing to intense pressure) my generous wife gave me the green light to go and watch the game on this holiest of days. Whenever the Tigers are playing in Melbourne I always sit with my mate Adam. We met aged six down the front of the Members reserve in the WH Ponsford Stand in 1982. Our Dad’s started talking and we quickly became good friends. Adam is now godfather to my son and I look forward to when Max is old enough to come to the MCG where he will sit in between us cheering for the Tigers.
In the 35 years since Adam and I met we have only witnessed two finals wins. Once in 1995 when we came back from five goals down at half time against the Bombers and the last time in 2001 against the Blues. It has been a long road but despite not winning a flag there have been some great memories.
One of the finest was in 1991 – coincidently on Mother’s Day. The Tigers who in those days were always down the bottom of the ladder came up against the defending premiers and bitter foes Collingwood. The Tigers were given no chance. However we handed the Magpies a flogging: 57 points in what is officially referred to in Richmond annals as the Mother’s Day Massacre. Our full forward Jeffery Hogg kicked 10 goals in his finest hour. I can still remember chanting Hoggy, Hoggy, Hoggy, Oi, Oi, Oi in the old Richmond rooms after the game.
I digress. On Mother’s Day 2017 joining Adam and I to watch the Tigers play Fremantle was my Mum - Louise. She isn’t a Tigers fan but I think she feels sorry at how little success the Tigers have had over my life as a loyal fan. It was great to have Mum along on this special day.
Going through the turnstiles I always say hello to my favourite attendant Paul. I think he has been working at the ground for the entire time I have been going. He is always there. Sometimes I nod and sometimes I say hello and sometimes Paul asks me how the Tigers will fare today. It is a nice tradition and one which I look forward to.
The match started very nicely with Jack Riewoldt kicking his first goal within two minutes. However, the Dockers had come to play and it was even at quarter time. Captain Cotch kicked the first major of the second quarter in 16 seconds but the Dockers refused to go away and led at half time by a few points. Unfortunately, the third quarter was one of our worst quarters for the year with the purple haze kicking four goals to nothing to lead at three quarter time by 30 points with Michael Walters clearly the best player on the ground. I thought we were gone as we weren’t playing well and some questionable umpiring decisions were not going our way.
Dimma must have given the boys an old-fashioned rev-up as we fought back in the last quarter and with just 20 seconds left we somehow hit the front thanks to a Brandon Ellis left foot goal out of the congestion. But the Dockers got the final centre break of the afternoon with Lachie Neale bursting out of the centre square and he put it out in front of a familiar face, David Mundy who took the mark 30 metres from goal on a slight angle. Two years earlier at the same ground he kicked a goal with 30 seconds left on the clock to sink us. As soon as I saw he had the ball in hand I had an awful feeling that history would repeat itself. The siren sounded and Mundy was under a lot of pressure but he stepped up and nailed the shot. A Mother’s Day miracle comeback had been thwarted and it left a devastating feeling.
We were lucky enough to have a kick on the hallowed turf after the game. This took me back to the 1980s when we did this with our Dads. The same buzz is still there. When I was a child I tried to imitate our two-time Coleman Medallist from Tasmania Michael Roach but on this day, I was our current dual Coleman Medallist from Tasmania Jack Riewoldt.
As I walked from the ground to Richmond station to catch the train home I spotted our captain Trent Cotchin in the distance heading towards Punt Road Oval. He of course was signing his autograph for fans who approached him. As he got closer I noticed that he had his young daughter perched on his shoulders. Seeing AFL captains carrying their kids around isn’t a sight you see very often. But it made me walk a little faster as I thought to myself that it’s only game and there is always next week so I better get home to put my son up on my shoulders.
RICHMOND 2.1 5.1 5.5 10.10 (70)
FREMANTLE 2.3 5.6 9.11 10.12 (72)
GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Caddy 2, Cotchin, Castagna, Martin, Rioli, Ellis
Fremantle: Taberner 2, Kersten 2, Mundy 2, Hill, Fyfe, McCarthy, Pearce
BEST
Richmond: Rance, Martin, Grigg, Cotchin, Grimes
Fremantle: Walters, Hill, Johnson, Langdon, Hamling, Mundy
INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Fremantle: Sutcliffe (cut head)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Deboy, Mollison
Official crowd: 31,200 at the MCG