1928 Chronology

Position: Second
Won 15, Lost 5, For 1820, Against 1388.
Captain: Allan Geddes Vice Captain: Donald Don
Coach: Frank “Checker” Hughes
Best and Fairest: Basil McCormack
Leading Goal Kicker: Jack Baggott (61)
Revenue: L5780 11s. 8d. Credit Balance: L638 10s. 4d.
Membership: 4,947
Seconds: Eighth

Ground:
The Richmond Weekly (on June 1) states that the playing field of the Richmond Cricket Ground measures 173 x 148 yards.

Soccer:
A Richmond Soccer Club is existent. It plays in Survey Paddock.

February
Wed. 8
At Richmond’s annual meeting Jack Archer states that Richmond’s players, having lost to Collingwood in the 1927 Final, were prepared to play another “final” for charity but Collingwood were not willing.

___ 14
Tom O’Halloran asks for a clearance to Burnie (Tasmania) and George Rudolph requests a clearance to Preston. Both players requests are apparently work related and the club decides to find each suitable employment.

___ 28
Tom O’Halloran and George Rudolph are denied clearances.
Wed. 29 The Richmond District Football Club is founded in the Richmond Football Club’s committee room. The movement to form a new club was instigated independently by the senior club and North Richmond residents. It will play at the City Reserve in the VFL Sub-Districts Association.

March
Fri. 16
The Richmond Weekly reveals that Donald Don refused a L750 offer to play for three years with Preston.

April
Sat 21
One of the earliest entries of free kick stats appears in the The Argus
Richmond 38. Nth Melbourne 56

May
Sat. 5
Richmond 5-14 (44) defeats Collingwood 5-12 (42) at Punt-road. Collingwood had a chance to win the game but with less than one minute remaining Frank Murphy missed a set shot at goal from twenty yards out.

Sat. 12
Tom O’Halloran tries out a new style of set shot kick at goal against Melbourne. He approaches parallel to the goal line and kicks the ball “on the turn”. It is not successful with the ball repeatedly swinging to the left.

Thr. 24
Percy Bentley is disqualified for three weeks for attempting to strike Footscray’s Paddy Scanlan.

Sat. 26
Basil McCormack misses his first game since he debuted with Richmond in the first match of 1925. He had played 60 consecutive games.

June
Sat. 2
Bob O’Neill collapses after the game. It was due a knock to the head sustained during Richmond’s three point victory over Geelong.

Mon. 4
The Cubs draw with Fitzroy’s seconds, but Fitzroy will protest the result and be declared the winners.

Sat. 9
Richmond’s score of 21-16 (142) against South Melbourne at Punt-road sets a new senior record for the club.
Jack Baggott kicks a new club record (all grades) twelve goals. He becomes the first senior Richmond player to kick ten or more goals in a game, and he equals Albert Thurgood’s RCG record which was set in 1893.
Four balls were used during the game including, in error, one signed by leading players and intended to be raffled at a Cub’s carnival.
Harry Isworth from Sth Melb who attended the match, behaved offensively after being cautioned by the police and was fined 5 pounds or one month's imprisonment. He had four prior convictions against him including assault and carrying an unregistered pistol.

Wed. 13
Phil Matson, who coached Richmond during the preseason of 1926, but was refused a permit by the League, dies following a car accident. StKilda player Horrie Bant was the driver of the car with Matson at the time and escaped with broken ribs.
After Phil Matson's death, Percy Maybury reflects: 'I have vivid recollection of the first Carnival in Melbourne in 1908. In those days there were no numbers of programmes to help one distinguish the players , but 5 minutes after the game against West Australia had commenced everyone knew that the big fair haired champion in the green and gold was Matson. He was also a champion swimmer and a great rower in fact some writers have classed him as the greatest all round athlete Australia has seen.'

Sat. 16
Allan Geddes vice captains Victoria against South Australia in Adelaide. Basil McCormack and Jack Baggott also represent Victoria in this game. The match is drawn. Percy Page manages the tour of the Victorian team.
Donald Don vice captains Victoria against New South Wales at the MCG. Don Harris, Tom O’Halloran and Ben Lunn play with a VFL team against the Ovens and Murray League at Wangaratta.

Sat. 23
Tom O’Halloran is omitted from the team because he failed to arrive within fifteen minutes of the game’s start, as club rules stipulate.

Sat. 30
Donald Don assumes the captaincy of the Tigers because of the omission of Allan Geddes, who severely dislocated his elbow in the last game. Jack Bissett is elected to temporarily replace Don as vice captain.
George “Sugar” Sparrow, the Saints’ coach and a former Richmond captain, visits the Tigers’ room after their game against St. Kilda. He speaks of an ever lasting “warm spot” for the Yellow and Blacks.

July
Tue. 3
An impromptu kicking competition after training is held. Donald Don is declared the winner with a drop kick of 64 yards 2 feet.

Sat. 7
Donald Don plays his 150th VFL game for Richmond.

Sat. 14
Richmond kicks 8-7 (55) in the first quarter against Carlton at Punt-road. It is the club’s greatest total for a quarter since it kicked 8-7 (55) in the fourth quarter against Essendon on June 26, 1920.

Wed. 18
Richmond entertains the Western Australian team, which is training at Punt-road, to a smoke night. The pavilion is decorated in the “Sand-gropers” green and gold colours. Past and present Richmond players, life members and this year’s patrons were also invited.

Fri. 20
The lyrics for Joe Edney’s song, that he wrote for the Mildura trip, “We Just Eat ’em All Alive”, are published in The Richmond Weekly.

Sat. 21
Basil McCormack represents Victoria against Western Australia at the MCG.
Richmond, who had spent the night travelling to Mildura, defeats the Mildura and District League 16-10 (106) to 5-16 (46). Jack Titus kicks seven goals. The Tigers are given a civic reception upon their arrival in the town.

___ 31
The committee decides to donate L25 to the Unemployment Fund organised by Jack Archer. Almost L100 had been donated by players and officials.

August
Fri. 3
Donald Don is cleared of “charging and striking” North Melbourne’s Charles Cameron on July 7. North had laid the complaint against Donald earlier in the week.

Wed. 8
At the Richmond Cricket Club’s annual meeting the 1860-61 Coppin Cup adorns the president’s table. It was recently restored to the club by Lucy Coppin.

Fri. 17
The Victorian Tramways Association defeats the New South Wales Tramways Association at Punt-road.

Sat. 18
Richmond’s score of 22-14 (146) against Essendon at Punt-road is a new (senior) club record.
With this win Richmond will complete the season without sustaining a home defeat. This has not happened since the club left the Association.
Jack Titus kicks nine goals for the Tigers.
Joe Murdoch kicks a behind from behind the centre circle.

Sat. 25
Don Harris, Basil McCormack and Harry Weidner represent Victoria against South Australia at the MCG.
Stan Judkins plays with a VFL team against Bendigo in Bendigo.
_ South Australian club Norwood trains at Tigerland.

September
Sat. 1
At Geelong Allan Geddes returns to captain the team for the first time since June 23.
Rich Saunders, the son of Richmond’s head trainer Ernie, captains the Victorian team to victory in the schoolboys’ carnival held in Brisbane. Rich will be presented with a medal for being the best player of the carnival.

Sat. 8
A club record finals crowd of 66,381 watch Richmond defeat Carlton by 53 points in a semi-final at the MCG. Jack Titus kicks six goals.

Tue. 11
The Cubs depart on their tour of Tasmania.

Thr. 13
Richmond’s captain Allan Geddes is disqualified for eight weeks for striking Carlton’s Tommy Downs. Downs received twelve weeks for striking Jack Fincher.

Fri. 21
“Checker” Hughes, Barney Herbert and Hughie James write articles for The Richmond Weekly in Lou Roberts’s absence.

Sat. 29
Richmond 9-9 (63) lose to Collingwood 13-18 (96) in the Final. As Collingwood are the minor premiers Richmond has no right to challenge the Magpies to a Grand Final.
Donald Don captains Richmond in the Final owing to the disqualification of Allan Geddes. It is Donald’s last game with the Tigers after twelve seasons and 158 games.