Richmond Won the 1943 Premiership in Wartime Melbourne. What Did the War Actually Change?

Richmond’s 1943 premiership is remembered for Jack Dyer, Dick Harris, Bernie Waldron and a five-point win over Essendon. But even the venue tells us something unusual: the Grand Final was at Princes Park rather than the MCG, and Geelong was not part of the competition that season.

So what had wartime Melbourne actually changed around Richmond? Grounds, travel, player availability and the shape of the VFL were all being disturbed by forces far beyond football. How much of the 1943 flag can we understand if those conditions are treated only as background?

The deeper question is what Richmond had to navigate while building a side capable of winning the premiership — and what wartime football looked like from inside the club rather than from the final score alone.

Read the full RTSSG investigation: The Premiership Was Won in a War: What Richmond’s 1943 Flag Meant in Wartime Melbourne

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