Royce Hart

Centre Half Forward - Royce Hart (Richmond & Glenelg)

To many observers (including probably himself) Royce Hart was the living embodiment of the ideal centre half forward.Certainly few players in the history of the game have managed to weld supreme natural ability and resolute determination to such telling effect.The determination saw Hart - on the face of it far from the finished article as a footballer - leave Tasmania as a 17 year old in 1965 to try his luck in the 'big time' with Richmond.At the time it was more usual for non-Victorian players to serve out apprenticeships in their own local competitions before embarking on VFL careers, but throughout his football career Royce Hart seldom did things according to accepted guidelines or standards.

Hart enjoyed a dream VFL debut season in 1967 when, playing at the goal front, he was a near unanimous choice as rookie of the year, kicking 55 goals, representing his adopted state, and playing in Richmond's first premiership team for 24 years.There were to be no second season blues either: Royce Hart maintained an amazing consistency throughout most of the remainder of his 190 game league career, even in 1976 and '77 when his knees had virtually 'gone'.

In 1969 he played one SANFL game for Glenelg - the grand final, against Sturt.However, he was unable to prevent the Double Blues from winning comfortably.

Captain of the Tigers between 1972 and 1975, Hart played representative football for the VFL 11 times, won the Richmond best and fairest award twice, and was a member of 4 premiership teams.There have been few more reliable marks or dynamic all round players in the history of the game.
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72-77 in which Hart (then aged just 22) selects himself at centre half forward in his 'Team to Beat All'.Return to Main Text

Former champion centre half-forward and four-time premiership hero, Royce Hart, was elevated to the status of Richmond Football Club 'Immortal' at Tuesday night's 2008 Hall of Fame function and season launch.

Hart joins Jack Dyer, Kevin Bartlett, Tommy Hafey and Francis Bourke in receiving Richmond's highest individual honor.
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Hart played 187 games, kicked 369 goals, won two Best and Fairests (1969, 1972) and was a dual premiership captain (1973, 1974).
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Royce Hart:

Royce Hart played school football with Sorell.He was Vice Captain of the team.Only a hand full of players, who were Sorell Juniors have played VFL/AFL football.Royce Hart ( Richmond), Sam Iles (Collingwood), Tom Collier (Brisbane Lions).

Royce Hart
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Royce Hart Captain

Joining the man known Australia-wide as "Mr Magic" in the side was close friend and triple Brownlow Medallist Ian Stewart, the legendary Peter Hudson, ex-Richmond superstar Royce Hart and current AFL stars Matthew Richardson and Alastair Lynch.
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"It was an honour to play with blokes like (Ian) Stewart and Hart and all the rest and to be coached by Roy Cazaly who I didn't know but I followed his career is such an honour," Baldock said.

Baldock (65) enjoyed a superlative two-decade career that began with East Devonport in 1955.

Winning three best and fairest awards in succession and an NWFU Wander Medal, Baldock's remarkable captaincy skills were evident early and he was lured to neighbouring Latrobe as captain-coach at 19 years of age.

Despite not being overly tall, at 177cms, Baldock's outstanding abilities in playing centre half-forward saw him a State regular and in 1961 he was named as Tasmanian captain.

Baldock found his way to St Kilda in 1962 and the Saints were suitably rewarded for their efforts from game one.

He immediately began dominating the VFL and a short time later topped his career when he led his beloved Saints to a one-point grand final victory over Collingwood in 1966.

Returning home in 1969 Baldock did what came naturally, coaching Latrobe to four straight flags, and showed he still had what it took by winning his third Wander Medal.

His love of the Saints saw him return to coach the side in 1987, 1988 and 1989 before retiring to Barrington to indulge in his other love of racehorse training.

Royce Hart Signed Football JumperLegends & Heroes - "Helping people celebrate special moments in time"
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Royce Hart Signed Football Jumper AUD$175.00

Royce Hart Signed Football Jumper
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Richmond champion, Royce Hart has signed this jumper on the number 4 which he made famous during his illustrious career from 1967 - 1977, kicking 369 goals.Hart played in 4 Premierships, winning 2 as captain.He is a member of the AFL Team of the Century, the AFL Hall of Fame & Richmond Team of the Century.

Even before he'd played one senior game of league football, I knew Royce Desmond Hart was destined for greatness.How else can you explain the decision of a mad-keen, nine-year-old Tiger fan to ask his mum to put the No. 4 on the back of his precious little yellow and black guernsey in the early autumn of 1967?Royce had worn No. 42 in the under 19s and reserves in 1966, but after a series of sparkling practice match displays in the '67 pre-season, was awarded the No. 4 guernsey.The fact that Royce hadn't even made his senior debut didn't deter me one iota.I had to have the No. 4 on the back of my footy jumper.I'd followed his career closely since he was lured across from Tasmanian club Clarence to Tigerland for the princely sum of six shirts, and was convinced that there was something a little bit special about him.How right I was . . .For the next decade I (along with thousands of other Tiger devotees) marvelled at the match-winning deeds of Royce Desmond Hart.
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Back then, however, Royce ruled the roost.Whenever Richmond needed a team-lifting goal, invariably it was Hart who provided it.According to Tommy Hafey, the man who guided the Tigers to four premierships in the Club's golden era from 1967-74, Hart was "a coach's dream"."He was just so keen to listen and learn from the time he joined the Club," Hafey said."I distinctly remember one night at training when we worked on a special drill which involved the players making out they were going to have a set shot for goal, only to run around the man on the mark at the last moment to gain a few metres, before taking their kick."It's one of those things you try at training from time to time, but players very rarely show that type of initiative in a match situation."Royce, however, did exactly that in our next match, which is an indication of just how hard he always worked on his game and how seriously he took training . . ."He was always one of the best workers on the training track for us and that's why the defensive side of his game was so good."Although he was renowned for his excellent marking, once the ball hit the g
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He had courage that you just wouldn't believe."Not only was Hart a coach's dream, the yellow and black faithful were enraptured with him - none more so than yours truly.My bedroom was littered with Royce Hart posters, photos, newspaper clippings, etc.Mind you, I also idolised the likes of Sheedy, Bourke, Bartlett and Clay, but Hart, he was something else!Memories of Royce Hart magic are indelibly etched in my mind.
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The Tigers kicked 11 goals to four in the second half, with Hart booting two of them, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.In typical fashion, everything Royce touched turned to gold (or goals, to be more precise) and the Magpies were powerless to stop the Richmond surge.Hart followed up that magical two-quarter effort in the preliminary final with another superb Grand Final performance the following week against Carlton to lead the Tigers to premiership glory.And, he did exactly the same 12 months later, in the Grand Final slaughter of the Kangaroos.Royce was the consummate big-occasion player.He had an ice-cool temperament and repeatedly absorbed the most intense pressure imaginable from opponents without batting an eyelid.I never saw Hart do his block out on the field, and it must have frustrated the life out of opposing backmen, who just couldn't get him sucked in, no matter how hard they tried.He would simply respond to extra-tight defensive tactics by reaching into his bag of silky skills and producing something out of the ordinary, which hurt the opposition where it really counted - on the scoreboard.I could go on and on about the sheer brilliance of RDH, but let me just finish up by thanking Royce, on behalf of all Tiger supporters who saw him in action, for the glorious memories . . .

Royce Hart
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ROYCE HART

(Click pictures to enlarge)

As a player Royce Hart was inspirational and always prepared to sacrifice his body for the side.Such was his commitment that he expected concussion at least six times each season.A strong mark, Royce would float across the front of a pack to mark rather than run straight at the ball.However, it was not uncommon for him to run backwards into a pack to mark and his unusual marking style made it difficult for opponents to punch the ball away.He was a long accurate left foot kick and also possessed very good skills once the ball hit the ground.

Born a Tasmanian farmer's son, Royce starred for Clarence Under 19s and in the state schoolboys' team.Spotted by a local Richmond scout in 1965, Richmond got Royce Hart from Clarence for a bargain - a new suit, six shirts and a pair of shoes and 20 pounds of spending money!He played half of his junior career as a rover and as a result he kept the skills learnt in that position.He was a player who was never beaten over four quarters because of his sheer persistence, intense concentration and superb recovery.He always applied the pressure to opponents either by tackling or chasing and would even crawl on hands and knees in an effort to win a loose ball.

Royce Hart kicks the ball back into attackUpon his arrival in Melbourne he was immediately placed on an extensive two-year weights program through the Under 19s and Reserves teams, before making his senior debut at full-forward in the opening round of 1967, in front of 80,000 fans at the MCG against Essendon.He had 14 kicks, took 10 marks and kicked 3.7 in a stunning debut , also a win for the club.

Royce Hart playing for RichmondThe Tigers only lost three games all year - Royce dominated and was the unanimous choice as the League's best rookie.Later that season, playing for Victoria he kicked 7 goals in their big (20.15.135 to 11.16.82) win over Western Australia and represented Australia against Ireland.He moved to centre half forward for the first time in the Round 15 match against North Melbourne.The result - a Tigers win.

The 1967 Richmond Premiership TeamRichmond entered the finals and Hart kicked 6 goals in the 2nd Semi.
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Royce Hart is pictured in the back row, third from the right.

Royce Hart floats in from the side to take this spectacular markIn the Grand Final he played like a veteran as Richmond won its first premiership for 24 years, drawing on rich reserves of judgement, balance and courage.He featured with 13 kicks and 3 goals in a nail-biting premiership win, including one which followed one of the most famous marks of all time - his brilliant fly over Geelong's Peter Walker in the desperate last quarter.

Captain of a premiership winning side - Royce Hart In 1969, he again tasted premiership glory with the Tigers, and also became only the second player in history to play in two senior Grand Finals in two states in consecutive weeks.He had trained with Glenelg whilst on national service in Adelaide.They paid him $2000 to play in the SANFL Grand Final a week after his VFL triumph - but he was knocked out early on and the team well beaten.

Royce Hart receives the premiership cupRoyce was appointed captain in 1972, leading the Tigers into 3 consecutive Grand Finals for two premierships.His marking was uncanny.He would float in from the side of a pack, twist his solid 6ft 2in frame, and clasp the ball.Royce Hart receiving the premiership cup after the 1972 grand final win from the Governor of Victoria Sir Henry Winneke.

Hart played in four premierships - 1967, 1969 and as captain of the 1973 and 1974 teams.He played for Victoria in his first year and on 10 other occasions, once as captain.

He won the club Best and Fairest award in 1969 and 1972, and was leading goalkicker in 1967 with 55 and in 1971 with 59.

By 1975, the strain on his knees had led to three operations and severely restricted his mobility.His stood down from the captaincy, but chose to ignore doctor's retirement advice and remained a devastating player.

Royce's sharp football brain and natural leadership skills saw him remain at Tigerland as a specialist and reserves coach, before crossing to Footscray as senior coach in 1980, leading the Bulldogs until 1982.

He was one of the first footballers to write a book on his career, aptly named The Royce HART Story.He now lives in his native Tasmania where he runs a farm.Up until recently he was involved in the development of junior football in Tasmania.His current involvement in football is as a commentator with ABC Radio.His brother, Lance, and son, Damien, bother played senior football for Clarence.Damien made his senior debut in 1994.He will always be remembered as one of the game's most brilliant and talented champions.He is highly regarded as one of the Tigers' greatest sons and was named in their Team of the Century.

Royce Hart is a member of the AFL Hall of Fame and was named at Centre Half-Forward in the AFL ‘Team of the Century'.Royce Hart is a member of the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame along with other Tasmanian Football Legends such as Darrel Baldock , Rex Garwood , Horrie Gorringe , Bruce Carter , Terry Cashion , Roy Cazaly , Arthur Hodgson , Peter Hudson , Laurie Nash and Ian Stewart .
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Royce Hart - A Tasmanian Football Legend