15 years ago today - The miracle in mud?

15 years ago today, 29/05/2010 saw Damian Hardwick record his first win as senior coach.

Richmond came into the match 0-9, anchored to the bottom of the ladder with an average losing margin of 9 goals. Port Adelaide were playing at home with a respectable 5-4 and currently sat in the top 8.

Sometimes however the footy gods give you just what you need. In this case: rain.

Five days earlier Adelaide saw 34 mm of rain, and there was another 13 mm on the day. Football park had a reputation for being waterlogged, being built on a swamp doesn’t help, and this was enough to bring the game down to a level Richmond could compete at.

The game is most notable because it still holds the record for most tackles recorded across both teams - 248.

Angus Graham, Shane Tuck (14), Andrew Collins (12), Shane Edwards (11), and Robbie Nahas (10) led Richmond’s count, while Dom Cassisi (12), Travis Boak, Kane Cornes, and Jay Nash (9) led the Power.

It was a tight game at quarter time with Richmond taking a 3.4.22 to 2.4.16.

It wouldn’t stay that way. Port scored just one more goal for the game through Daniel Stewart in time-on of the third quarter. Richmond scored relatively freely for the conditions to win by 47 points with Jack Riewoldt (4), Ben Nason (3) and Robbie Nahas (2) scoring multiples.

Five of Richmond’s players on the day would eventually become premiership players - Astbury, Cotchin, Edwards, Martin, and Riewoldt. Four players of Port’s premiership side in 2004 were selected - Carr, Cassisi, and the Cornes Brothers, while a fifth was coaching their opposition.

Both teams would record a further 5 wins for the season, although you’d assume Richmond were more satisfied with their return than Port.