{xtypo_dropcap}I{/xtypo_dropcap}t is with much regret that Ozfooty reports the passing of Richie Rigg.

Richie Rigg was always destined to become a high level sportsman. Champion Athlete in his last year at Aquinas College, he was captain of the College’s athletics, cricket, football, and tennis teams.

But it was at cricket that he shone brightest as a youngster, his eventual decision to concentrate on football causing many good cricket judges to shake their heads. A cousin of State players Basil and Bert Rigg, Richie won the batting averages at Aquinas as a fifteen year old playing in the first eighteen with and against seventeen and eighteen year olds. College rules are seldom relaxed, but the youngster was responsible for the changing of the law forbidding the wearing of shorts on the cricket field.

As a nineteen year old, Rigg played his only season of first grade pennant cricket, with Perth, before deciding to concentrate on the winter sport. Continuing to play in the country, he became a leading Country Week participant, initially with the Harvey Association but later representing Bunbury, and opened the bowling for Western Australian Country against England at Moora in 1965. Capturing the early wicket of opener Bob Barber for six, he finished with one for twenty nine. The wicket of Barber was an important one, considering the Englishman made a hundred and twenty six a few days later against a West Australian attack boasting the talents of Laurie Mayne, Graham McKenzie, Jock Irvine, and Tony Lock.

Barber had his revenge, however, Richie’s wicket being among the spinner’s five for sixty four.

Raised on a farm at Harvey, Richie Rigg was a grandson of Marjory Rigg, the first woman settler on the Wokalup Estate, who with husband Herbert grew potatoes and lived in a tent at Wokalup, where a drink of water involved a two mile walk carting two kerosene tins to cart it in. Godfrey Rigg, Richie’s father, played football at the same town with later East Perth legend, Mick Cronin.

Although pursued by most WANFL clubs, there was never any doubt that Richie would wear the red and black of Perth Football Club.

Playing his first six games with Perth in the 1964 season under a permit, Rigg went straight into the centre, where he had a tough initiation. In those first half dozen appearances he was confronted with four State players, including Ray Sorrell(East Fremantle) and Wally Martin(Subiaco). But the on field battles were soon to be matched by an off field bunfight, with Harvey- Brunswick steadfastly refusing Richie a clearance.

He became the first country player to have a transfer fee placed on his head to play in the WANFL.

{xtypo_quote_left}opened the bowling for Western Australian Country against England at Moora in 1965. Capturing the early wicket of opener Bob Barber for six, he finished with one for twenty nine.{/xtypo_quote_left}

Circumstances eventually saw a softening of the country club’s stance. With four games remaining before the finals, Harvey-Brunswick needed to win each of them to make the finals, so agreed on a clearance the following season on the proviso that Rigg played out the remainder of 1964 with them. It looked to be a good decision when they were successful in grabbing the quartet of wins, but fell over in the first semi final, beaten by Boyanup-Capel-Dardanup. Richie was at centre half forward, opposed to another up and comer, Bradley Smith.

Back with Perth in 1965, Rigg found it harder to gain a regular spot in the league side, with the team developing into the power it would soon become, and found himself earmarked as a jack of all trades, playing in every position except ruck or rover. In the 1966 season, when the club won the first of a hat trick of premierships, Richie suffered the disappointment of being in the selected side but omitted on grand final day. Named in the twenty on Friday night, he took his gear to the ground. Coach Mal Atwell, who had initially left himself out with an injury cloud, changed his mind and played, with Rigg the unfortunate casualty.

The retirement of Bill Leuzzi after the 1965 season opened the door for Rigg to claim the vacant back pocket spot, and he grabbed it with open arms. Richie played in the 1967 and 68 premiership sides. With crowds of over forty four thousand at both games, the Perth fans were vocal in their appreciation of arguably the best the club has put on a football ground.

Rigg was soon brought back to earth in round seven of the 1969 season.

Playing against Perth, a soccer from Claremont forward Wayne Harvey broke three bones in Richie’s left hand. He was expected to miss two months, but the club got a fibreglass shield for him to wear, and he was back in three weeks. First mark he went for, the hand was shattered, putting him out for the year.

With the weight of farming commitments, the newly married Rigg decided to retire from league football after eighty three games, an offer from Barry Cable the following year not enough to change his mind. Richie went to Harvey-Brunswick in 1970, and in his only subsequent season as a player won the club’s fairest and best award to add to the one he had already received before going to Perth.

He continued playing cricket until retiring in his mid forties.

The tightly knit Perth defensive unit of the late sixties was one of the major reasons for the club’s dominance of the WANFL competition during that period, and Richie Rigg was an important part of that group. A man who could have found success in several sports, it was a benefit for football and the Perth Football Club when he decided on the winter game.

Ozfooty offers sincere condolences to Richie Rigg’s loved ones, Perth Football Club, and supporters.