Are Basil McCormack, Jock McConchie, Jack Dyer, and Allan Geddes games tally incorrect?
In the interest of transparency, I wanted to bring everyone across the current research - to allow anyone to submit additional evidence that could solve this either way.
The below information was researched by myself, and BigFooty member 35Daicos.
(27 August 2020).
Basil McCormack + Jock McConchie.
At the moment - AFLTables website lists Basil McCormack on 199 games
At the time of his last game Rd 18 1936, the press reported that he was taking the field for his 200th game.
In Richmond's Annual Report (AR) it would list each players' games tally for each season. When comparing that against what AFLTables currently show, there are two discrepancys in his 1934 season. McCormack has 17 games (AR) vs 16 games (AFLTables), meaning AFLTables may be missing a game to be credited to Basil. In the same Annual Report there is also a discrepancy with Jock McConchie who has 3 games (AR) vs 4 games (AFLTables), meaning AFLTables may have given McConchie an extra game.
Reviewing each game of the 1934 season, it looks like there's a discrepancy with Rd 7 1934 Richmond vs Hawthorn match. McCormack is currently not credited with that game whilst McConchie is.
However The Age match report here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204810436 says that "On the winning side O'Neill, Bolger, and McCormack never wavered..."
The Australian newspaper even lists McCormack as first named in its best players http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141405934 "For Richmond, McCormack, Martin, Bolger, Titus, O'Halloran, Dyer, Strang and Geddes performed well"
Later, The Age references that the Bolger - Murdoch - McCormack line is unchanged for the 7th consecutive match; which correlates to Rd 1 1934 - Rd 7 1934. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204824535 (and would require McCormack to be playing this Rd 7 match)
Before the game, The Herald named McCormack in the lineup https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243166246.
In their review of the Rd 7 1934 match, they list McCormack as the first name in the Best Players list http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243164893
So with McCormack in, who misses out?
Well in the Reserves match played on the same day, McConchie is listed in the team lineup, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243166281 and in the review of the Reserves match he is listed as kicking 1 goal McConchie http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204810438
So in summary
I recommend that Basil McCormack picks up Rd 7 1934 match - taking his tally to exactly 200 games, and Jock McConchie loses Rd 7 1934 match to take his Richmond tally to 15 games, (and hence 37 career games including Fitzroy).
Jack Dyer + Allan Geddes
At the moment, AFLTables lists Jack Dyer on 312 games https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jack_Dyer0.html
In Richmond's Annual Report it would list each players games tally for each season. When comparing that against what AFLTables currently show, there is a discrepancie in his 1934 season. Dyer has 15 games (AR) vs 16 games (AFLTables), meaning AFLTables currently have an extra game to his tally.
Reviewing each game of the 1934 season, it looks like there's a discrepancy with Rd 5 1934 Richmond vs Essendon match, which was played on a Monday (a holiday).
Whilst he is listed in the team lineup https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243168115, when discussing the following week's game, it is mentioned that "Dyer ...because of illness was not able to play at the last minute on the holiday" http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10944602
The Age goes further with this information, saying that "Dyer's absence on Monday was due to the illness of a relative" http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204818870
The Age then lists Dyer as an 'Alteration' for the following game - Rd 6 1934. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204809002
In the match report of the Rd 5 vs Essendon match - Allan Geddes is mentioned as the second name of players who "frequently shone" http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204826341
Later, in a preview of the Rd 6 vs Sth Melb match , The Age says that "everyone connected with Richmond was pleased last night when it was announced that little Judkins had been reincluded in the Senior side and that the old line of Judkins-Zschech-Geddes would function once again across the centre". http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204808663
This indicates that Zschech and Geddes were already in the previous game (Rd 5) which further suggests Geddes played that day.
So in summary,
Its possible that Jack Dyer's game tally should be altered to 311 games (not 312), and Allan Geddes altered to 183 games (not 182).
Background:
The research began when the members of the Kick to Kick Podcast messaged me to ask why Dyer's 310 games when he retired, is now listed as 312 games. My initial response was that in the old days the 19th Man of a side wasn't credited with a game unless he took the field. And it was only in the early 1970s that the VFL acknowledged a game to the 19th Man even if they never took the field.
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