Malcolm Greenslade played only two games for Richmond, yet the impact he made in those couple of appearances, is indelibly etched in the minds of those members of the Yellow and Black faith fortunate enough to have seen him in action.
It’s 40 years ago this round that Greenslade, a star key forward from then powerful South Australian club, Sturt, made his senior league debut with the Tigers.
Greenslade was undergoing his National Service training at the time in Victoria. He did 10 weeks basic training at Puckapunyal, before being stationed at Watsonia.
Under an Australian National Football Council ruling relating to National Servicemen, Greenslade was eligible to play for Richmond, providing Sturt agreed.
Late on the Thursday night, before Richmond’s Round 3, 1971 clash with St Kilda at what was then known as VFL Park, Sturt gave Greenslade the green light to line up for the Tigers.
Up to that stage in his SANFL career, the 23-year-old Greenslade had played 77 games with Sturt and kicked 237 goals.
Given the No. 26 guernsey by the Tigers, he stepped straight into a team containing stars such as Royce Hart, Kevin Bartlett, Kevin Sheedy, Francis Bourke, Roger Dean, Michael Green, Ian Stewart, Dick Clay, Barry Richardson and Rex Hunt.
But if Greenslade was overawed at the prospect of pitting his skills alongside Tigerland’s finest, he certainly didn’t show it.
His first touch on debut for Richmond had Yellow and Black barrackers jumping out of their seats, when he flew over Tiger captain, Roger Dean, to take a spectacular mark.
So good was the mark, it featured as one of the 100 Tiger Treasures of the Century, when the Club celebrated its VFL/AFL Centenary in 2008.
Greenslade gave his high-quality opponent, Saints’ defender, John McIntosh, the run-around in an eye-catching start to his league career, helping the Tigers seize the early initiative, with a 4.3 to 0.3 opening term.
McIntosh eventually wore down the high-flying Croweater-turned-temporary Tiger, but Richmond went on to win a low-scoring contest - 10.8 (68) to 6.13 (49).
Leading football writer for ‘The Age’ at the time, Peter McFarline, was suitably impressed with Greensland’s first-up performance for the Tigers . . .
“Richmond began in 1969 form, with its latest recruit, Malcolm Greenslade, dominating at centre half-forward over John McIntosh. “Over” is the operative word because Greenslade seemed to spend most of the first quarter and a half taking screaming marks over his opponents . . . his acrobatics inspired Richmond’s big men into putting on their best display of marking for a season.”
Match details
Round 3, 1971 at VFL Park
Richmond 4.3 5.3 7.5 10.8 (68)
St Kilda 0.3 2.8 4.10 6.13 (49)
Goals - Richmond: Hart 3, Bartlett 2, Stewart, Moore, Boyanich, Beckwith, Greenslade.
Best - Richmond: Boyanich, Stewart, Sheedy, Hunt, Burgin, Clay, Bartlett, Richardson, Green.
The following week, Richmond ventured to the Lake Oval to take on South Melbourne, who had made the finals the previous year, for the first time since 1945.
Included in the Tiger side that day was another Sturt star undergoing National Service training in Victoria - Mick Nunan.
The diminutive rover, who years later (briefly) coached Fitzroy, wore the No. 23 guernsey in his sole senior appearance for Richmond. He was a lively performer, kicking three goals and setting up several others through his constructive play as the Tigers thumped South by 94 points - 20.13 (133) to 5.9 (39).
Greenslade, meanwhile, was on fire up forward for his adopted team. He marked superbly and finished with six goals in a dominant display that underlined his class.
Former Richmond goalsneak, Blair Campbell, who was a sports journalist at the time with ‘The Age’ wrote: “The South Australian National Serviceman is a fine player. He is a strong mark and a deadly kick for goal. On today’s form, he could easily hold down the full-forward position for the Tigers - a trouble spot for them for several years.”
Unfortunately, it was to be Greenslade’s final game with Richmond, as Sturt subsequently convinced him to return and play out the rest of the ’71 season with them on a fly-in basis for each match. The same, too, applied for Nunan, who made just the solitary appearance in the Yellow and Black colors.
Four decades on, you wonder what might have been, had Malcolm Greenslade remained at Richmond, under the great Tommy Hafey’s coaching guidance.
If his two games were anything to go by, chances are he could well have go on to be a member of the Tiger teams that captured back-to-back premierships in 1973-74, in such emphatic fashion . . .
Match details
Round 4, 1971 at the Lake Oval
Richmond 2.3 8.6 17.10 20.13 (133)
South Melb. 2.2 3.2 3.9 5.9 (39)
Goals - Richmond: Greenslade 6, Bartlett 4, Moore 3, Nunan 3, Boyanich 3, Dean.
Best - Richmond: Bartlett, Moore, Stewart, Bourke, Dean, Greenslade, Clay, Green, Sheedy, Bond, Hart.
