Former North administrator Ron Joseph and player and coach Denis Pagan know all too well about the club's intense rivalry with Richmond in the 1970s.

The bitter conflict intensified at the 1974 Brownlow Medal count, which was in those days held at the Southern Cross Hotel, when North wingman Keith Greig secured back-to-back individual honours.

Tigers rover Kevin Bartlett, who claimed 11 of 12 media awards after his stellar 1974 campaign, was the overwhelming favourite to win the Brownlow.

But much to Richmond's dismay, Bartlett (22 votes) finished third behind Melbourne's Gary Hardeman (23 votes) and Greig (27 votes).

All three players were in the running with the last round to be counted, but the Roo claimed his second straight Brownlow as the following words reverberated in the ballroom: "Three votes, K … Greig."

Joseph said the night escalated when then Richmond secretary Alan Schwab publicly vented his frustration, questioning the legitimacy of the Brownlow system and declaring Bartlett had been robbed.

"There was a fair bit of rivalry and animosity between the Richmond people and the North people," Joseph told NMFC.com.au.

"There was a bit of argy-bargy at one stage in one of the rooms at the Southern Cross after the count … there were some stupid things said.

"It was unpleasant at the time because some North people saw Keith as the ultimate worthy Brownlow medallist and Richmond was disappointed that Bartlett, who was an equally great champion, had missed out."

Schwab made his feelings known to the media shortly after the count.

"It's a joke. Greig deserved to win a Brownlow but not this year," Schwab told The Age newspaper.

Joseph said he had a sharp recollection of Schwab's very public outburst, for which he later apologised.

"'Schwaby' apologised and he might've rung Keith, and from Keith's point of view he was playing in the Grand Final – it was all water off a duck's back," Joseph said.

"As quickly as Schwaby had spoken out of line, he apologised and Richmond begrudgingly apologised and it all moved on."

Pagan, who at the time was a 26-year-old playing with the Roos, said Schwab caused "a real controversy" and the North administration and players did not forget about his comments in a hurry.

"It really offended a lot of North Melbourne people," Pagan said.

"I don't think the current-day players would know about it, but certainly those who played in '74, for the next several years it was always on their mind.

"The North blokes were really hostile about it."

Interestingly, Pagan knows what it is like to come up against Richmond in the finals series more than most.

In the five finals matches the Roos have ever played against Richmond, Pagan has featured in three of them – two as a player (1974 semi and Grand Finals) and then as a coach (1995 qualifying final).

Although Greig claimed the Brownlow Medal in '74, Richmond quickly turned the tables by winning its consecutive premiership flag despite starting the match as underdogs.

Pagan said the 41-point Grand Final loss, which coincidentally was his 120th and final game with the Roos, proved the catalyst for the club winning its maiden flag the following year.

"The disappointment of being beaten set the standard for North's premiership in '75," he said, citing then coach Ron Barassi's personnel changes ahead of the 1975 season.

"There was a lot of disappointment, a lot of hard decisions made after that game and Richmond was back-to-back premiers in '73 and '74 and North were starting to rise.

"There were a lot of blokes tipped out after that game and I was one of them."

Schwab's post-Brownlow outburst may have been instigated by the threat posed by North after signing Barassi in '73 and luring big-name recruits Barry Davis (Essendon), John Rantall (South Melbourne) and Doug Wade (Geelong) under the short-lived 10-year rule.

Joseph said the Roos were becoming a genuine force of the competition and the Tigers could sense a real changing of the guard.

"Richmond never liked the fact that we took over their mantle in the 70s," Joseph said.

"Poor old North had come from nowhere and subsequently in the 70s played in six successive Grand Finals, and Richmond's players started to age a bit and go on their way.

"It was a great era for North and it became a rebuilding period for Richmond as the 70s moved on."

North Melbourne will hold an open training session this Saturday (September 12, 2015) at Arden Street from 11.15am-12.00pm.