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1926 Chronology

Position: Seventh
Won 9, Lost 9, For 1376, Against 1495.
Captain: Mel Morris Vice Captain: Jimmy Smith
Coach: Mel Morris
Caretaker Coaches: Phil Matson (unratified), Ernest Taylor
Best All-round Player: Allan Geddes
Leading Goal Kicker: David Lynch (31)
Revenue: L4687 15s. 9d. Credit Balance: L330 14s. 8d.
Membership: 4,023
Seconds: Fourth

February
Tue. 15
Dan Minogue resigns as Richmond’s coach.

Wed. 24
Former secretary William Maybury is elected a vice president at Richmond’s annual meeting.

Thur 25
The Castlemaine Mail report that the recent announcement from Burnie FC in Tasmania that Phil Matson is to coach them is incorrect ad that it is understood he has accepted the position of Richmond coach.

March
Tue. 2
Phil Matson is appointed Richmond coach. He successfully coached the WA State Team in the last two Australian carnivals, and was also coach of Castlemaine.

Sat 6
Frank Harley is cleared by Richmond , as he has been appointed as coach of Prahran.

Tue. 16
The committee resolves to mount the club’s 1921 premiership tiger skin in its rooms.
Former coach Dan Minogue is granted a clearance to Hawthorn.

Tue. 23
A meeting is held in the pavilion to discuss the formation of a “welfare club” to promote a “fine social atmosphere” at Richmond.

Tue. 30
It is decided to pay players a flat rate of three pounds per League match less ten shillings for each night they miss training.

Wed. 31
Phil Matson is denied a permit to coach Richmond by the League. No reason is given and 'it would listen to no complaints' (Castlemaine Mail)
Former Carlton footballer Albert Boromeo is granted a permit to play for Richmond.
Richmond's vice captain, Mel Morris, is announced as coach of Preston, after a clearance is granted


April
Thr. 1
It is reported that Mel Morris is favoured for the Richmond coaching job. The Age reported other candidates included Bert Boromeo, George Bayliss.

Sat 3
Boromeo coaches a Yellow and Black team in a practice match against 'Blues' , coached by (Ted?) Bourke. (The Age April 5 1926). New talent in the match included Harry Weidner (Warragul), Bone (Caulfield), Bill Ford (Tallygaroopna), Burton (local junior). L. Morris (brother of the 'old player' Mel Morris), Fowler (centre half back from Korumburra), Aust (from Dromana), John James, Kerr (forward from a church team), Lauder (full back from Public Service club), Quinlan (half back), Fitzgerald (rover and defender from Xavier College), Reid ('back from Western Australia'), Stainsby (rover and forward who kicked 6 goals; brother of Coll/Rich player Les Stainsby), Waterhouse (Port Melbourne half back), Carroll (Brighton wingman and 'old Richmond boy'), Ivory ('a black man from Tasmania'), Meeking (Nth Melb full back), McLean (half forward and brother of a former player, Houghton (follower from Warrandyte), Sims (centre from Bairnsdale)

Phil Matson is quoted in the Herald as 'The only reason I can see why I have been treated in such a way by the Permit Committee is that I have always stuck up for West Australian football by claiming that there is nothing between the play of the Westerners and Victorians'
He is later quoted in The Castlemaine Mail as 'I am thoroughly disappointed with the attitude of the League and the sooner I can get out of Victoria the better I will be placed. I am sorry for the Richmond club and would like to have done something for them in return for the expense they have been put to over me, but of course I am powerless'

Wed. 7
Prior to heading back to Western Australia Phil Matson gives Richmond players and committee a blackboard lecture on tactics, at the club rooms.

Sun. 11
A party of four Richmond officials is stopped by police in Keilor at 5.30 am and are questioned in relation to a robbery in Melton. They had spent the night recruiting Castlemaine player Jack Fincher.
Ces Mullen’s boys’ team changes its name to the Richmond Boys’ Amateur Team.

Wed 14
Jim Maxfield, who in 1924 was disqualified by the permit committee following inaccurate information, and missed the majority of the year, transfers to Maffra.

Sat 17
Mel Morris and Jack James captain respective sides in a practice match. Frank O'Brien, from the Public Service, and a winner of the Wangaratta Gift played on the wing against Carroll (Brighton). Hunter (from Burwood, who the week before played with Camberwell) 'marked brilliantly and displayed plenty of dash'. Usher, the Albury centre 'showed marked ability in all round play'. Lilburne, of Brighton, was a hard man to beat despite 'carrying too much weight'. Roy Parkin (Castlemaine) and Lauder (Public Service) were respective full back. Joe Plant was carried off with an injured knee near the end of the game. Ivory (Tasmania) and Jannings played forward, while Waterhouse (Port Melbourne) and Corfield (Geelong) showed promise.

Thursday 22
Mel Morris is no longer appointed coach of Preston, much to the disappointment of the Preston Committee.

Saturday 24
In a practice match of 'Yellows" vs "Blacks", Dave Lynch kicks 5 goals in the first half. Mel Morris and Donald Don are the respective captains

Tuesday 27
Mel Morris is appointed captain of the season. Donald Don and Jimmy Smith are considered for vice captaincy

Fri 30
On the eve of the first game of the season, The Age reports coach Mel Morris has been lecturing his players on the need for systematic play.


May
Sat. 1
The Richmond Guardian reports that it is likely that the Town Planning Commission will support widening Punt-road by 16 feet, thus encroach on the RCG. Work is expected to commence next year.
Albert Boromeo plays his first League game after a three year absence.

Sat. 15
Essendon players give the defeated Richmond team three cheers after the game. The cheers are returned.

Sat. 22
Dan Minogue coaches against Richmond for the first time. The Punt-road crowd applauds him at three-quarter time. Richmond presents an illuminated address to Dan at the conclusion of the game.

June
Mon. 7
Richmond seconds score 19-11 (125) against North Melbourne. It is a new Cubs record.

Acts of vandalism in Yarra Park have been reported to the police. The dressing shed built for the convenience of footballers using the survey paddock was found badly damaged. The windows and windows frames were broken, coat hooks were wrenched off the wall and padlocks on lockers were smashed.


Tue. 8
Ernie “Fishy” Taylor is accepted by the committee to carry on coaching Richmond until the arrival of Mel Morris. His father, Charles “Fishy” Taylor also coached the club and technically they are the first father-son to do so. (this entry is in dispute as The Age newspaper shows Morris appointed coach by now however its possible he was dealing with reneging on a deal to coach Preston VFA so couldn't physically be at Richmond yet to coach them in pre season/practice.
The committee decides to instruct the selection committee not to select any player who refuses to play with the Cubs when omitted from the seniors.

Sat. 12
Keith Millar represents Victoria against South Australia at the MCG. Allan Geddes and Basil McCormack represent Victoria against New South Wales in Sydney.
A few of the Richmond Boys’ Amateur team are invited to train with the Cubs.

Wed. 16
A theatre night for Richmond players and officials is held at the Tivoli.

Sat. 26
Don Harris is reported for throwing the ball at a Footscray player. He will be disqualified for two games.
The Cubs are trailing Footscray’s seconds by one point when Richmond’s _ Hewitt has a shot for goal on the bell. The umpire signals all clear but then reverses his decision giving Footscray the win. The Cubs will protest the result.
Angus McIsaac’s suspension for playing with Mooroopna while tied to Richmond is lifted after one and a half seasons.

July
Sat. 3
Late in the Richmond v. Carlton match Carlton’s Horrie Clover is met hard by George Rudolph and taken from the field.

Sat. 10
The Cubs, through The Richmond Guardian, reminds its players that a failure to arrive at the ground by 2.30 pm “... prejudices his chance for inclusion in the side.”

Thr. 15
George Rudolph is disqualified for two matches for using obscene language in the Carlton game.

Sat. 17
Dave Lynch kicks seven goals for the Tigers against South Melbourne.

Sat. 24
Allan Geddes is adjudged Victoria’s best player against Western Australia in Perth. He will also play the second match on July 27. Phil Matson coaches the Westralians to victory in both games.
Keith Millar represents Victoria against New South Wales at the MCG. Doug Hayes plays for a VFL team against Bendigo in Bendigo. Jack Barnett, Basil McCormack and Mel Morris play with a VFL team against Ballarat in Ballarat.
The opening game of the Australian Baseball Carnival takes place on the RCG.

Sat. 31
Allan Geddes represents Victoria against South Australia in Adelaide.
Keith Millar represents Victoria against Tasmania at the MCG. Harry Pollock and Les Gallagher play with a VFL team against the Ovens and Murray League at Albury.

August
Tue. 3
The players meet to dispel any rumours of player discontent with the committee and coach.
Plans for the proposed extension to the grandstand are tabled at the football club’s committee meeting. The football club is upset by the cricketer’s lack of consultation and requests that the plans be altered to enable each club to have its own committee room. The extension was to be only for the accommodation of lady members.
Vice president Oscar Mitchell decides to donate trophies for the best players in the first and second eighteens.

__ 17 The football club is notified that its suggested alterations to the grandstand extension plans have been adopted.
Although the League wants to discuss the reallocation of recruiting boundaries, Richmond decides to instruct its delegates to retain the present boundaries.

Sat. 21
Tom O’Halloran arrives at the ground late against Hawthorn. The game had already started by the time he entered the field.
Richmond seconds score 19-16 (130) against Hawthorn. It is a new Cubs record.

Sat. 28
Harry Pollock, who captained the Cubs earlier in the season, is elected to captain the Tigers in Morris’s absence. Donald Don is also elected to stand in for Jimmy Smith as vice captain.
A portion of the old wooden pavilion, a long room partitioned in two that houses the cricket club’s baseball team and St. Stephen’s harriers, is burnt after 11pm. It was insured. The Argus reports that the fire was discovered in the tennis clubhouse. Firefighters had to take their hoses right across the oval from Punt Road. A storeroom adjoining the clubhouse was severely damaged, with slight damage to a committee room wall.

September
Sat. 4
Geelong’s score of 19-16 (130) is the highest ever kicked against the Tigers. It breaks the record set by South Melbourne in 1912.
Donald Don captains Richmond.
The plan for the extension to the grandstand (front elevation) is published in The Richmond Guardian.

Tue. 7
Clovis Mainon, Richmond’s first treasurer, dies.

Thr. 9
A delegation from Melbourne City Council visits the RCG at short notice. They advise Dave Chessell, the cricket club’s secretary, not to begin work on the grandstand extension until the ground’s new boundaries, caused by the proposed widening of Punt-road, are decided.

Sat. 11
Dave Lynch kicks eight goals for the Richmond’s seconds, equalling his Cubs record yet again.
The Cubs score over 100 points for the fifth time in six games.

Sat 18
Dave Lynch kicks four goals in the Cubs losing semi final match against South Melbourne’s seconds. With this bag Dave also achieves a unique record. He tops the both the seniors’ and the seconds’ goal kicking in the one year. Dave had kicked 31 goals with the Tigers and 30 for the Cubs.

Tue. 14
Oscar Mitchell, a Richmond vice president, is killed when struck by a car while crossing Punt-road. He was on his way to a Richmond committee meeting.

November
Tue. 9
Frank “Checker” Hughes is to be appointed to coach Richmond next season (1927) subject to the “approval of himself and a sub-committee as to the conditions ...”

December
Tue. 7
The committee decides to obtain a cabinet for the committee room to house Richmond’s records.

Thr. 9
The defunct Beverley Football Club holds a reunion.



Research material
The Age newspaper.
Richmond Minute book.
Castlemaine Mail Feb- April.