1927 Chronology

Overview
Position: Second
Won 15, Lost 5, For 1578, Against 1203.
Captain: Allan Geddes Vice Captain: Doug Hayes
Coach: Frank “Checker” Hughes
Best and Fairest: Basil McCormack
Best All-round Player: George Rudolph
Leading Goal Kicker: Jack Baggott (37)
Revenue: L4557 1s. 8d. Debit Balance: L191 5s. 2d.
Membership: 3,778
Seconds: Sixth

February
Ground: W. Hannah’s company begins work on the extension to the grandstand. Embankments at the ground are further raised.

Tue. 15
The committee decides to establish a junior football competition under the direct patronage of the club.
It is decided to supply the training staff with uniforms.

Mon. 28
A delegation from the Richmond Football Club waits on the Richmond City Council seeking assistance in the allocation of playing spaces for a proposed Richmond junior football competition.

March
Tue. 1
“Checker” Hughes is introduced to the committee as coach for the first time. He promises to “... keep the Yellow and Black” to the forefront.

Tue. 22
The committee decides that “... only players of less than 3 years league experience” be compelled to play with the seconds when omitted from the firsts.

Juniors:
The proposed junior competition in Richmond is abandoned because only three clubs nominated.

April
Mon. 4
“Checker” Hughes, Richmond’s non-playing coach, plays in a Richmond practice game. He will continue to do this in order to properly instruct the “colts”.

Wed. 13
“Checker” Hughes lectures his players on tactics and teamwork.

Sat 16
Richmond hold a practice match between the 'blues' (captained by Geddes), and 'red and blues' (captained by Donald Don).
Stan Judkins has his first try-out, playing on Geddes on the wing. Ted Cusack also tries out for the first time.
Jack Baggott bruises his heel.

Mon 18
Tom Dunne (future Richmond footballer) finishes second in the Jubilee Stawell Gift, by 9 inches, behind T.J. Miles of Queensland.

Tue. 26
Richmond’s secretary, Percy Page submits a draft copy of “The Ten Commandments” of the Richmond Football Club to the committee, and orders that it be printed and distributed amongst the players.

Sat. 30
A soccer match is the curtain raiser to Richmond’s opening game against Melbourne at the MCG.

May
Sat. 14
Richmond 7-13 (55) defeats Collingwood 6-13 (49) at Victoria Park. Richmond were one point down in the dying minutes when David Lynch kicked the winning goal from an acute angle.
Sat. 21 The extension to the Richmond Cricket Club’s pavilion, the D. P. Chessell Wing, is declared open by Ernest King, the cricket club’s president, prior to Richmond’s game against Footscray.

June
Sat. 6
A record RCG crowd of 42,000 see an inaccurate Richmond 12-18 (90) lose to Carlton 17-8 (110).
Alf Wood, a former Richmond president, enters the Richmond dressing room after the game and criticises the players. It will be reported that Wood was abusive and insulting.
Mon. 7 Following the Alf Wood incident the committee resolves that only officials, players and their relatives, and life members be permitted in the dressing room.

July
Tue. 5
A marble memorial tablet is unveiled in Richmond’s committee room to honour “our late colleague” Oscar Mitchell who was killed while on club duties last year.

Sat. 9
Jack Huggard kicks seven goals against Fitzroy at Fitzroy.

Thr. 14
The VFL tribunal clears George Rudolf of kicking Fitzroy’s George Gordon, and Percy Bentley of elbowing Len Wigraft.

Sat. 16
Martin Bolger, a Richmond resident, plays for Melbourne’s seconds against the Cubs. At the meeting of the Cubs’ committee on Monday a motion to lodge a complaint with the League for the premiership points is defeated by the vote of the chairman.

Sat. 30
After 48 consecutive appearances Allan Geddes misses his first game since he began playing for Richmond in 1925. Doug Hayes captains Richmond in Alan’s absence.

August
Wed. 3
At the Richmond Cricket Club’s annual meeting a complaint is made that, despite the new grandstand being reserved for members, it is overcrowded on Saturday afternoons. It seems that the accommodation is largely taken by members’ children.

Carnival:
Donald Don, Jack Baggott, George Rudolph, Basil McCormack, Allan Geddes, Percy Bentley and Tom O’Halloran will be selected to play for Victoria during the carnival held in Melbourne from August 10 to August 20. Richmond had never contributed seven representatives to a carnival team before, although they will not all play on the same day. Jack Baggott will be recognised by “prominent sporting writers” as Victoria’s “most serviceable player.”
Western Australia’s carnival team, under coach Phil Matson, train at Punt-road.

Wed. 10
Richmond departs for a tour of Tasmania.

Sat. 13
Richmond 12-17 (89) defeats the second string Tasmanian team 10-13 (73) in Hobart. Percy Page (the secretary), Charlie Callander (a property steward) and two old Tigers in Vic Thorp and “Checker” Hughes play for Richmond due to a shortage of Tigers on the tour.

Fri. 19
Six of Richmond’s carnival players attend a photographic studio, but as the injured Donald Don was unable to join them they refuse to be photographed until he is fit.

Sat. 20
Richmond 11-14 (80) draws with North Tasmania 12-8 (80) at Launceston. Percy Page again plays with the Tigers.

Sat. 27 Richmond’s seconds 17-27 (129) defeats North Melbourne’s seconds 6-4 (40). The Cubs hit the post on eight occasions.

September
Sat. 3
Richmond’s score of 3-5 (23) against Carlton is its lowest score since it scored 2-3 (15) against Melbourne in 1909 and its third lowest since it joined the League.

Thr. 8
Jack Baggott is cleared of striking Carlton’s Frank Irwin and Allan Geddes is cleared of “unseemly conduct.” A large crowd of Richmond supporters, who had gathered outside the League’s rooms, cheered and yelled “Eat ’em alive” upon hearing the verdicts.

Sat. 10
The Cubs defeat Hawthorn’s seconds by 116 points, 23-20 (158) to 5-12 (42). It is a new club record (all grades/competitions) score and winning margin.
George “Nuggett” Simmonds kicks a club record (all grades/competitions) eleven goals for the Cubs.

Tue. 13
With the cricket club regrading one third of the ground the football club is forced to train on the remaining two thirds. The uneven ground will be built up fifteen inches in some places. “Checker” Hughes reports to the committee that due to the regrading the, “... present (training) arrangements are totally inadequate...”

Sat. 17
Richmond 12-10 (82) defeats Carlton 11-10 (76) in the first semi final before 63,590 spectators.
Former coach Dan Minogue visits Richmond’s rooms before the game.

__ 27 The committee decides that those players who played in the semi final against Carlton are to be paid a two pound bonus per man.

October
Sat. 1
On a sodden MCG Collingwood 2-13 (25) defeats Richmond 1-7 (13) in the lowest scoring VFL Final/Grand Final. Only 35,551 spectators braved the wind and rain. The Tiger’s score is the lowest total a team had kicked in a VFL Final/Grand Final, and Richmond’s wost total since it kicked its lowest League score of 1-6 (12) against Melbourne in 1908.

Wed. 18
A League enquiry is held into the charge that North Melbourne’s John Lewis assaulted the Richmond vice president Harry Dyke and the Richmond player George Rudolph, after Richmond’s semi final clash with Carlton. Lewis is found guilty and disqualified for the whole of next season.