Royce Hart

With the Tigers on top of the ladder and heading for their first finals appearance since 1947, Hart was shifted to centre half forward, the position where he would make his name.

The Tigers went into the finals without a single player who had played finals before, which seemed the only chink in the team's armour.

However, in the semi-final against Carlton, Hart led the way with a best afield performance and booted six goals.

Two weeks later, Richmond played a Grand Final against Geelong considered as one of the classic matches of Australian football.

Hart gathered 13 kicks and six handpasses but it was one of his seven marks that remains eternally etched in the memory.

Royce Desmond Hart (born 10 February 1948) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Regarded as one of the greatest centre half-forwards to ever play Australian rules football, Hart was a supremely gifted and courageous player with superb pack marking skills, with a trademark of leaping in from the side, and a penetrating left-foot kick.

In the first half of the twentieth century, Richmond had been a powerhouse club with a large supporter base, but the club fell on hard times in the 1950s.

Hart was invited to Clarence in 1964 to play for the under-17s team.

But because their season started late, he went and trained with the under-19s team.

He went on to win the best first-year player award, and then won the best and fairest the following season.

These performances caught the attention of Harry Jenkins, the Tasmanian-based recruiting scout for Richmond.

Acting on Jenkins' recommendation, club secretary Graeme Richmond flew to the island state to watch Hart in action, but he missed seeing Hart play.

Nevertheless, Richmond was prepared to sign Hart sight unseen.

Hart's mother warned that he would need suitable clothing to wear to work, which he didn't have.

Richmond countered by offering the youngster a suit and six shirts, then posted papers to the Hart household, which were readily signed.

At a time when untried players were asking VFL clubs for large signing on fees, Richmond knew he had a bargain.

Aged 17, Hart crossed Bass Strait determined to develop his precocious talent, which was unusual; most Tasmania players played a number of seasons in the local competition before crossing to Victoria as mature age recruits.

Hart arrived in Melbourne with 20 pounds in his pocket (contrary to some accounts of his life, this money was his own and not provided by Richmond) and initially boarded with Graeme Richmond.

He started work in bank and began a comprehensive weight training regime at Frank Sedgman's gym; at the time of his arrival in Melbourne, Hart weighed only 10 stone 12 pounds (69 kg).

A rejuvenation of the club began with a move to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1965 and an extensive recruiting program, which included the young Hart.

Hart started the 1966 VFL season playing in the Richmond under-19s coached by Ray "Slug" Jordon.

During the season, Jordon made the mistake of including an unregistered player for a match.

As punishment the VFL stripped the under-19s team of half its premiership points, causing the team to miss the finals.

Hart had been the leading goalkicker for the under-19s when late in the season he was promoted to the reserves and played in the Reserves Grand Final against, on a half forward flank.

With just seconds to go, Collingwood led by one point when Hart took a mark about 60 metres out from goal.

He promptly put a torpedo punt, his preferred kick at the time, through the goals to give Richmond the lead, and the siren sounded shortly afterward.

During the off-season, Hart continued working on his physique and created an air of anticipation with his performances in the practice matches leading into the 1967 season.

Hart made his senior VFL debut in the opening round of the 1967 VFL season against at the MCG, playing at full forward.

Although he got plenty of the ball in attack, he disappointed with his inaccurate goal-kicking, with three goals and seven behinds.

Subsequently, Hart taught himself to use the drop punt when kicking for goal, and became one of the best exponents of the kick at a time when many players still favoured flat punts or drop kicks.

In Round 4, he kicked an amazing goal, which bounced along the ground for the last thirty metres before going through, to win a match with Carlton.

After only four games Hart was selected to play for the Victorian Second team, but a week before the game, Ron Barassi pulled out with injury and Hart was promoted.

He booted seven goals playing at full-forward against Western Australia.

Hart was an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, and was elevated to Legend status in 2013.

Hart grew up in central Tasmania with an older brother, Lance, and two younger sisters, Gayle and Cheryl.

He gravitated toward sports, in particular Australian football, which upset his mother, who thought the game too rough.

Hart was educated at Clarence High School and participated in football and athletics.

He played as a rover in the Tasmanian under-15 schoolboys team before his growth spurt, and held a junior high-jumping record for about 20 years.

Playing on the ball helped develop his ground skills, but he was able to exert greater presence on the field after his growth spurt.