For the first time in 53 years, Geelong and Richmond will meet on Australian rules football's biggest stage.
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The Cats and Tigers face off at The Gabba in Brisbane tonight, the first time the AFL grand final has been played outside of Victoria.
When the pair last met in a decider in 1967, it was Richmond who prevailed in a thriller, by nine points, with two Border football identities, John Sharrock and John Perry, featuring in the contest in front of more than 109,000 fans at the MCG.
The game was remembered for the star-studded names on both sides, with inspirational Cats' captain Graham 'Polly' Farmer, full forward Doug Wade and on-baller Bill Goggin all in Geelong's Team of the Century.
Seven players from the premiership went on to feature in Richmond's Team of the Century, they were Royce Hart, Kevin Barlett, Bill Barrot, Francis Bourke, Dick Clay, Roger Dean and reserve Michael Green, along with the club's most successful coach Tom Hafey, who went on to lead the Tigers to another three flags in 1969, 1973 and 1974.
Richmond led by a straight kick at the first change and extended the margin to 16 points at half-time, but Geelong wasn't going away and clawed it back to two points with a quarter to play.
A see-sawing final term saw the lead change on multiple occasions, with the Cats six points clear at the 18-minute mark.
An unlikely Tiger goal to John Ronaldson from beyond 50 metres on the flank levelled the scores and another from Ronaldson from a similar distance on the opposite side gave the Tigers the lead after 25 minutes.
A late goal from Kevin Bartlett extended the margin to 11 points, and despite a flurry of late shots from Geelong, one of which was marked on the goal line by Richmond skipper Fred Swift, the Tigers held on to win by nine points and claim their sixth premiership and first since 1943.
Sharrock was lining up in his second VFL grand final after playing all 20 games in his debut season in 1963 as the Cats booted six unanswered goals in the last term to beat Hawthorn for the flag.
The half forward from Murray River town Tooleybuc in western NSW had missed the first 15 games of the 1967 season after requiring knee surgery at the end of 1966, the same year he ran third in the Brownlow Medal behind St Kilda's Ian Stewart.
Sharrock kicked 11 majors in the final three home-and-away games and starred in the Cats' preliminary final victory against Carlton with four goals in a best-on-ground performance to set up a date with the Tigers.
He was quick to make an impact in the grand final as well.
"I didn't actually realise I kicked the first goal," Sharrock said. "I thought I had five for the game because there was one just short of the line and my foot did go through, but the boundary umpire said it wasn't a goal.
"I was in the top five or six so I was pretty happy with that.
"A lot of people still say it was one of the best grand finals ever.
"It was different to today, it was mark and kick.
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"John Ronaldson kicked two out of his a**e. He would never do it again if he lined up 100 times.
"We should have probably won another flag in that era like the good Richmond sides."
Another knee injury brought an early end to Sharrock's VFL career in 1968, and he moved to the Border in 1969 to coach North Albury.
The car dealer closed his Wodonga business John Sharrock Motors after 39 years in 2010.
Perry was recruited to Punt Road in 1964 after finishing runner-up when playing for Wodonga in the 1963 Ovens and Murray Morris Medal to one of his school teacher's Ken Bennett at Albury.
He comes from impressive football lineage with his grandfather, Bill Strang, a hard-hitting ruckman and key forward, who came from the bush to play 69 games with South Melbourne, including the 1907 grand final.
Bill had four sons; Allan, who followed him to the Swans, Colin who made two appearances for St Kilda, while Doug and Gordon became household names when they arrived at Richmond in 1931.
Doug's son, Geoff (John's cousin) was a dashing half-back flanker who also became a dual premiership star in Richmond's strong sides of the late 1960s.
The Tigers' legendary club administrator Graeme Richmond was to be his future brother-in-law.
Perry was named as a reserve for the 1967 grand final and didn't get his chance until the final quarter when Alan 'Bull' Richardson, the father of star Tiger forward Matthew, left the field with cramp.
"My claim to fame is I went on when we were nine points down and came off when we were nine points up," Perry said. "I went on to (Tony) Polinelli who I reckon was Geelong's best player on the day. He got a lot of kicks.
"The game was full of star-studded names who are still big names today."
Perry recalls Farmer cramping late in the game and sensed a chance for the Tigers to break a 24-year premiership drought.
"Michael Patterson played in the ruck because Neville Crowe was out suspended (from the second semi-final). In my way of thinking, 'Patto' hit Farmer's arms all day and before three-quarter-time Polly went down with cramp.
"I thought 'we've got them, their best player and motivator has gone down with cramp and we've got another quarter to go'.
"Polly was in their best five players on the day and he cramped up and we saw the game out."
Perry managed just 26 games in six seasons at Richmond with injury and national service preventing further opportunities.
He made four senior appearances in his final season at Tigerland in 1969, but tied for Richmond's reserves best and fairest and was named first emergency for the seniors' grand final and ultimately second premiership in three years.
Perry was at North Melbourne for another four seasons before, rounding out his VFL career at 83 games.
He returned to Wodonga as captain-coach in 1976, but copped a career-ending knock in the first game of the season.
Perry believes Geelong will have to be at their very best to stop the Tigers' third premiership in four seasons.
"We've got a very good all-round team all over the field," he said. "They're seasoned, they're tough, they love each other and care for each other."
Sharrock said the Cats are a good chance, but must hold Richmond in the first half. "Tom (Hawkins) has got to kick three or four," he added.