Geelong Had More of the Ball in the 1967 Grand Final. So Why Was Richmond More Dangerous?
The 1967 Grand Final contains a statistical contradiction. Geelong recorded 291 disposals to Richmond’s 258 and took 80 marks to Richmond’s 60. Graham Farmer, Bill Goggin and several of the Cats’ best players found plenty of the football. By conventional measures, Geelong often looked the cleaner side.
Richmond won 16.18 to 15.15. The Tigers also generated 34 scoring shots to Geelong’s 30. More possession had not automatically produced more danger.
So what was Richmond doing with the football that the raw possession count cannot explain? Was the difference territory, speed, forward pressure, the kind of contests each side created — or something else entirely? If Geelong had more of the ball, why did Richmond keep making the game feel as though it was being played on Richmond’s terms?
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