Early Career
As a junior player at Westbury in Tasmania, Roach won state representation and he was selected to play senior football for Longford in 1975, aged only 16. He impressed by winning the club's goalkicking award in his two seasons and was selected to represent both the league and Tasmania, in two interstate fixtures. Richmond talent scout Harry Jenkins, who had discovered the by now legendary Royce Hart, rang the Tigers with a succinct message: "I got another one for you."
Richmond rushed the young Roach over to Melbourne for the 1977 season. Expectations of the 18 year old recruit were high. Initially, Roach's rise in the game was much quicker than Royce Hart's had been. At 193 cm, Roach was taller than Hart and had a much more developed physique. In addition, he was very mobile and agile for his size. With Hart in his last season, the Tigers decided to ease Roach in to the game slowly and he played nine senior games on the wing, thus emphasising his athleticism. At season's end, he played well on a forward flank in Richmond's reserves Grand Final win over Footscray. But 1978 proved a big let down, and injuries and ordinary form kept him to just three games.
Read more about this topic: Michael Roach (footballer)
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