Neil Balme (left) and Geoff Southby shake hands after being interviewed by author Dan Eddy. Photo: ANDREW EYERS
At last week’s launch of “Brilliance and Brutality”, the new book by Dan Eddy documenting the fierce rivalry between Carlton and Richmond in the early 1970s, former Blues’ champion centre half-forward Robert Walls quickly set the tone.
Before an audience gathered in the gorgeous MCC Library at the MCG, Walls reminded the throng that the book’s cover had headlined the word ‘Brilliance’, in the navy blue of Carlton, while “Brutality” was filled with the yellow of Richmond.
Author Eddy also pointed out that the Carlton players sitting in the library, heroes like Peter “Percy” Jones, David “Swan” McKay and Vin “Spinner” Cattogio, had gathered in one aisle, while the Richmond mob sat in their own corner, with the late Tom Hafey’s wife Maureen and their daughter Jo, and the late Graeme Richmond’s wife Jan, front and centre.
Eddy revelled in a Jerry Springer-type role, by interviewing together Neil Balme and Geoff Southby, revisiting that infamous moment early in the 1973 grand final when Balme knocked Southby senseless.
Southby recalled three weeks of recovery from the ensuing concussion. A more-than-apologetic Balme gave a heartfelt explanation as to what had caused him to become a “he-man” of that time.
But it was Balmey’s sense of fun and humour, and the heckling of him, that more than anything united the assembled crowd. Everyone was able to rejoice and reminisce over that magnificent era of football.
One of either Richmond or Carlton, or both, played off in every grand final between 1967 and 1974, barring the Hawthorn St. Kilda grand final of 1971.
The Tigers struck the first blow of the rivalry, winning the 1969 grand final against the Blues with a final quarter blitz.
But Carlton evened the score by thumping Richmond in the 1972 Grand Final, with a never-to-be-repeated, lightning-fast exhibition of power football, which result in a 27-point victory and an incredible record scoreline of 28.9 (177), 18 of those kicked by half-time. Even the Tigers’ own 22.18 (150), incredibly, equalled the previous highest grand final score.
A hurt Richmond vowed revenge in 1973, and the two juggernauts went at it, in what was to become a timeless MCG heavyweight decider. Such was the ferocity of the rivalry, the many acts of violence through the 1973 grand final have come to define that day, and have left the astute planning of Tom Hafey, and Royce Hart’s inspirational football, less appreciated.
As Eddy points out, when you ask a Carlton player from that era who he hated most, it was Richmond, whereas the football press had built up the Carlton-Collingwood rivalry, especially as the incredible 1970 grand final, with its all-time record crowd of 121,696 and Carlton comeback from a half-time deficit of 44 points, was still fresh in memory.
The Richmond-Carlton rivalry remains in the hearts of fans of both teams still; for many years the AFL season kicked off with a contest between the historic inner-suburban clubs.
And just days after the release of “Brilliance and Brutality” last week, football historian Rhett Bartlett, son of legendary Tiger Kevin Bartlett, posted newly-acquired colour footage of the entire 1973 grand final as filmed by Channel 9, but never broadcast before in colour, which didn’t arrive officially in Australian homes until March 1975.
Neil Balme’s infamous hit on Carlton’s Geoff Southby in the 1973 grand final. Picture: CHANNEL 9
To satisfy two loyal bands of barrackers, “Brilliance and Brutality” publisher Geoff Slattery has printed three different versions of the new book. Lovers of sport, and all football fans, can, and should, buy the neutral, “Brilliance and Brutality: Richmond, Carlton, and the Grand Finals of 1969, 1972 and 1973” version.
Carlton fans, however, can buy a more nuanced version, with a Carlton dust cover that shows John Nicholls holding the 1972 cup aloft and has a more Carlton-centric title, “Blue Brilliance: The story of the 1972 Grand Final shootout”.
Richmond barrackers, likewise, can purchase a Tiger version, “Ruthless Richmond: How the Tigers rebounded to win the 1973 Premiership”, with iconic Royce Hart cover art.
And why wouldn’t anyone buy it? Tiger fans will read about many of their greatest players and people. Immortal footballers; Kevin Bartlett, Royce Hart, Ian Stewart, Francis Bourke, Mike Green and Dick Clay. Then there are the lovable rogues, Kevin Sheedy, Whale Roberts, Rex Hunt, Laurie Fowler, Neil Balme, Ricky McLean, Robbie McGhie, Billy Barrott and so many more.
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And what about Carlton? Alex Jesaulenko, John Nicholls, Bruce Doull, Geoff Southby, Robbie Walls, Syd Jackson and Swan McKay. And the likely types, unique characters, think Brent Crosswell, Percy Jones, Serge Silvagni, Trevor Keogh, Kevin Hall, ‘Ragsy’ Goold, Vin Waite, Wes Lofts and so the list continues. Vin Cattogio, and a difficult situation he found himself in, gets full mention.
And then we have the power figures; Tom Hafey, Graeme Richmond, Alan Schwab, George Harris, Ron Barassi and Nicholls as captain-coach. Eddy pays all key protagonists their dues; the administrators, coaches, fitness staff, whoever was of any influence in the simultaneous rise of these late-‘60s dynasties.
One of Eddy’s great strengths as a historian, too, is to not gloss over things, to look at all events with equal measure.
A 1972 pre-season practice match, decided by a solitary score, when the terrifying Ricky McLean first crossed from Carlton to Richmond, is analysed in fine and deserving detail, such is Eddy’s style.
John Nicholls is flattened by Richmond’s Laurie Fowler in the opening minutes of the 1973 grand final. Picture: CHANNEL 9
He meticulously sources a diversity of references, and will interview eight people in regard to a matter, not relying on nor hoping that one person has remembered the event clearly.
If you have not read any of his previous works, you will enjoy this his latest book and want to seek out his other fine histories. Slattery commonly refers to Dan’s bio on Dick Reynolds, “King Richard”, as the first Dan Eddy masterpiece. And his 2020 history, “Crimmo: The Peter Crimmins Story”, sets itself apart from the usual sporting biographies with its depth of compassion, Crimmo’s heartbreaking story beautifully told.
This text, too, is a strong admission to Eddy’s already impressive football library. When addressing the assembled audience last Wednesday, he noted his belief that the breathtaking 1972 grand final had long been under-appreciated; a valid point. To reverse that, he needed to delve deeper into the surrounding rivalry.
A frustrated Nicholls, unable to have his Carlton team keep pace with Richmond’s high-scoring, attacking brand of football, executed a plan of great genius to topple the unbackable Tigers in 1972.
The scheming Nicholls had concentrated solely on beating the Tigers, their preliminary final against St Kilda, which the captain-coach was confident Carlton could handle, almost an afterthought. It was Richmond which was the enemy.
Eddy uncovered a deep and often personal story, and set about justifying both sides of the chasm. To do the story justice, he identified three key figures, Richmond Football Club powerbroker Graeme Richmond, or “GR” as he was universally known, Hafey and Nicholls. Eddy’s examinations into those three most passionate of football men greatly enriches this book.
“Big Nick” opens up, for the first time, on several events from back then. His words are revelatory, his football acumen astounding. As is the material on “GR”, the ruthless, single-minded man who ultimately ended Hafey’s Richmond coaching stint, to the dismay, still, of a legion of fans.
Take, for instance, this snippet from 1980 Richmond premiership captain, Bruce Monteath. “Let’s be honest, GR fucked the club in the end. Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, we should have won five premierships. The poor bastard’s dead now, but he did a great job in building the club up and when the power started to corrupt, he fucked it. He did some terrible things – tell you one thing, tell another bloke something different, sell blokes without anyone knowing about it. One minute you’d have a great teammate next to you, the next they’d be gone.”
It’s a big text, it’s a long read, 480-odd pages, but great value for money. Perhaps it could have had included a few more photos, but this rich time in the history of the Australian game commanded a full explanation, and Dan Eddy has more than fulfilled that warrant.
“Brilliance and Brutality: Richmond, Carlton, and the Grand Finals of 1969, 1972 and 1973” by Dan Eddy, is available through Slattery Media Group (LINK HERE).
