I think it would be good to start a few threads on ex players and our memories of them for us oldies.
I thought I would start with one of my favourite all time players the great Francis Bourke , St Francis. I have many memories of him but two stick out for me.
1.The game at Arden Street when he got hit in the head from a stray Greg Strachan boot . Blood streaming from his face and his jumper now Black , yellow and red he refused to come off the ground and wanted to take the kick himself . That day was also famous for a brawl in the reserves involving an up and coming Richmond forward by the name of Mark Jackson . He decided to take on the whole North Melbourne reserves team on his own.
2.The 1980 Grand Final . We are 70-80 points in front in the last quarter and the ball is kicked into Collingwoods forward zone . St Francis goes up for the mark and gets both hands on it but it is taken from his hands from behind by Ricky Barham from memory. It didn’t matter at all to the final result but Francis was incensed when the mark is given to Barham . He was kicking the ground and gesturing to the Umpire , he didn’t want to be beaten in a single contest no matter what .
A giant of the Richmond Footy Club , probably the most courageous player we have had in living memory.
Lets hear some more Francis Bourke memories .
I thought I would start with one of my favourite all time players the great Francis Bourke , St Francis. I have many memories of him but two stick out for me.
1.The game at Arden Street when he got hit in the head from a stray Greg Strachan boot . Blood streaming from his face and his jumper now Black , yellow and red he refused to come off the ground and wanted to take the kick himself . That day was also famous for a brawl in the reserves involving an up and coming Richmond forward by the name of Mark Jackson . He decided to take on the whole North Melbourne reserves team on his own.
2.The 1980 Grand Final . We are 70-80 points in front in the last quarter and the ball is kicked into Collingwoods forward zone . St Francis goes up for the mark and gets both hands on it but it is taken from his hands from behind by Ricky Barham from memory. It didn’t matter at all to the final result but Francis was incensed when the mark is given to Barham . He was kicking the ground and gesturing to the Umpire , he didn’t want to be beaten in a single contest no matter what .
A giant of the Richmond Footy Club , probably the most courageous player we have had in living memory.
Lets hear some more Francis Bourke memories .