Why I owe Richmond a grovelling apology
After reflecting on my pre-season predictions for The Age, I, Bob Murphy, would like to formally apologise to the Richmond Football Club. I was wrong. I was soooo wrong. I boldly predicted that the Tigers wouldn't win a game. Not one. Zero.
I have a long and somewhat complicated relationship with the Richmond Football Club. I was born into a family that had a strong allegiance to the Tigers. I had a Matthew Richardson poster on my bedroom wall; my first footy jumper was a woollen Tigers short sleeve with a collar and Wayne Campbell's No.9 proudly stitched into the back.
I was at the MCG on September 16, 1995 on that magical day for the Tiger army when Matthew Knights kicked three stunning first-half goals against the flow of play against the Bombers. Despite being five goals down at half-time, my Tigers came charging home via some brutality from Scotty Turner and co to win a classic.
It remains one of my all-time favourite days at the footy. Three years later I was lucky enough to be a year 10 work experience kid at Tigerland, hanging out with Jeff Gieschen, Benny Gale, Paul Broderick, Ash Prescott and Richo – who caught me watching his highlights on a VHS tape and asked, 'Do you mind if I have a look at that, champ?' For a footy mad kid, it was the greatest week of my life!
Weirdly, just four games into my own AFL career, I was in a Bulldogs jumper playing against my Tigers at the MCG when all hell broke loose. Long story short. Knights had his nose smashed in (as a Bulldog, I can't recall how Matthew was hurt). An all-in brawl ensued and a new rivalry in footy took flight. What a gloriously confusing time it was.
So it is, with all of that history, that we arrive at this point today and the current iteration of the Richmond Tigers who I apologise to, cap in hand. Yes, the Tigers have won five games, but it's in two recent losses (against Geelong and Collingwood), where they have won me over, despite sitting 16th on the ladder.
Young, developing teams will often meet top-tier teams and shrink in confidence, dare and bravery.
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