1891 Chronology
Overview
Position: Twelfth (last)
Won 2, Drew 3, Lost 14, Goals For 62, Goals Agst 143.
Captain: Tom Graham
Vice Captain: William Stewart
Leading Goal Kicker: Alfred Elder (15)
Revenue: L273 17s. 4d. Debit Balance: L27 4s. 4d.
Membership: 231
May
Sat. 2 Charlie Backhouse, a recruit from Camberwell, makes his senior debut for Richmond against South Melbourne.
Wed. 13
The Richmond Cricket Club refuses to allow the Richmond Football Club to use its ground for a second twenty (Richmond is the only senior club without one) because it is already used by the cricket club’s baseball team when the football club plays away.
Sat. 16
Charlie Backhouse fractures his collarbone against Footscray.
Chris Syle who is probably the first player to play 100 games for Richmond possibly plays his last game for the club.
One third of the 4,500 strong RCG crowd watch the game from outside the fence.
Sat. 30
An estimated crowd of 8,000 “inside and outside ground”, the largest ever to attend an RCG match, see Richmond 4 - 4 lose to St. Kilda 10 - 9.
June
13 & 16
Richmond players Jimmy O’Halloran and Jimmy Shore represent Victoria against South Australia in Adelaide.
Sat. 20
Umpire Greenhall accuses a Richmond player of throwing the ball in his face and others of wasting time in its game at Ballarat. The VFA will find these charges unsustained.
Sat. 27
Richmond defeats Port Melbourne for the first time.
July
Fri. 3
Jimmy O’Halloran’s portrait appears immediately beneath The Herald’s masthead. It is the first time a Richmond player is so honoured.
Sat. 11
The Yarra River breaks its banks and floods Richmond and South Yarra. The RCG is also inundated by floodwaters and Richmond’s non-premiership game against Ballarat Imperial is duly cancelled.
Sat. 18
Richmond and North Melbourne football clubs and the Richmond Cricket Club agree to allow all proceeds from this day’s game to go towards flood relief. The gate totalled 53 pounds 9s. 0d.
Sat. 25
Richmond’s match against Melbourne at the MCG is its first premiership game away from the RCG since May 9. Richmond had played eight consecutive matches at home.
A frustrated Jack Stewart yells, “Go on, call our men from the field” after he was penalised for running too far. The Richmond boys remained on the ground and the outburst only brought a laugh.
Richmond’s ___ McClaverty is charged with tripping, but the accusation will not be sustained.
August
Sat. 1
Billy Brown plays his first game for Richmond since the opening game of the season.
Mon. 3 & Tue. 4
The Richmond Football Club and the Richmond Cricket Club raise 123 pounds for flood relief through a Bruce Auction at the Town Hall.
Sat. 15
Fitzroy’s Jim Grace becomes the first player to kick ten or more goals in a single game when he boots eleven against Richmond at the Fitzroy Cricket Ground.
Tue. 25
Due to the perilous financial state of the Richmond Cricket Club, Richmond’s Mayor, William A. Webb, advises the Richmond Cricket Club to amalgamate with the Richmond Football Club. The cricket club decides to hold talks with the football club.
September
Fri. 11
At an ordinary meeting of the VFA Richmond’s delegate James McCutchan states that he is aware that Melbourne obtained Richmond players by offering them billets. North Melbourne’s delegates unsuccessfully propose that the VFA rescind its laws against professionalism because shamateurism is already rife.
Wed. 23
The Richmond Cricket Club outlines the plans for the proposed merger with the Richmond Football Club as the “Richmond Cricket, Football, and Athletic Association”. The amalgamation will not eventuate.
Sat. 26
Richmond abandons its non-premiership game against Ballarat Imperial at Ballarat because the club is afflicted by an influenza epidemic.
November
Mon. 2
The opening race meeting is held at the Richmond Racecourse. It has a grandstand and stewards’ rooms.