Richardson brings up a rare century

By Ken Casellas

Dynamic forward Ian Richardson has joined an illustrious group of outstanding Claremont footballers who have played in more than 100 winning league matches.

More than 1200 men have appeared in league ranks for the Tigers, but only 11 have managed to play in 100 winning contests.

The 28-year-old Richardson achieved this milestone when Claremont defeated Swan Districts in round 20 on August 6 and he improved his record to 101 when the Tigers beat East Fremantle by 99 points at East Fremantle Oval last Saturday.

Richardson, a mercurial left-footer who attacks the ball with tremendous ferocity and possesses wonderful skills, has been playing this season as a high half-forward and on a centre wing on occasions.

He has kicked 347 goals in 165 league matches and is in fourth place in the list of Claremont’s all-time list of leading goalkickers --- behind Warren Ralph (564), George Moloney (555) and Wayne Harvey (389).

The other ten Claremont men to have played in more than 100 winning matches are Darrell Panizza (169), Graham Moss (153), David Crawford (139), Trinity Handley (119), Jaxon Crabb (118), Mark Hann (115), Noel Morton (113), Clancy Rudeforth (108), Steve Malaxos (106) and George Moloney (105).

There are 12 men who have played in 100 or more losing league matches for Claremont, with champion full-back Ken Caporn heading the list with 184 defeats from his 273 league appearances.

The others are Kevin Clune (151), Les Mumme (139), Alan Steward (138), Lorne Cook (130), Harvey (128), Dick Lovegrove (115), Denis Marshall (111), Maurie Bridgwood (109), Panizza (104), Ron Briggs (103) and Moss (100). 

 When Moss retired at the end of the 1983 season he had played in 99 losing matches. He brought up the century when he made a surprise return to league ranks in the round 9 match against East Fremantle on May 25, 1985, when the Sharks prevailed by 45 points. That was his final appearance.