Kevin Bartlett | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Kevin Bartlett

ceehook2

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Bartlett was pretty much the odds on favourite for the '74 Brownlow, Tora. Won all but one of the media awards for the year with an average of 29+ disposals and 2+ goals per game for the season. Bourke and Hunt finished equal fifth. Bartlett 3rd. Keith Greig won his second in a row but was pretty much only the umpires who thought he was the winner.
there was a good bit of Keith Who ? at the time , but do feel that got a life of its own and was blown way out of proportion
my family were avid football fans Tigers VFL saturday and Bullants VFA Sunday
We knew all too well how good Grieg (Brunswick/VFA) was and it was no surprise to us to see him dominate his wing and that general area of the ground
at the time we (and Tigers fans) loved Bryan Wood and he was a very good player but Grieg was another level
his high marks were like Disco Roach and his long kicking was a feature but he also covered ground amazingly quick and seemingly effortlessly

there is the odd brownlow winner that gets labelled as unworthy , think Wowoedin , I'd wouldn't put Greig in that group
Barlett, Bourke , Hunt and Grieg all had big years , the two sides played off in the GF
 
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CarnTheTiges

This is a REAL tiger
Mar 8, 2004
25,348
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KB's amazing football legacy is put to the rear when he makes public comments about Dusty; rule changes this year or tweeting about Djokovic in the last couple of days. I don't mind KB guest spots on TV but you start making regular comments about matters then you alienate people. Footballers can alienate people. I thought Rex Hunt was great on radio, and not bad on TV but he was not nice in his marriage. Many hate him. Bourke's pubs had rough bouncers and alienated some of my friends. My missus was appalled at GR for king hitting this drunk kid at his pub/night club. In my, old man opinion, flags are the main aim of a club so KB wins hands down. I think Royce, Bourke and Clay have 4.
Bourke’s got 5 as well.
 
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CarnTheTiges

This is a REAL tiger
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there was a good bit of Keith Who ? at the time , but do feel that got a life of its own and was blown way out of proportion
my family were avid football fans Tigers VFL saturday and Bullants VFA Sunday
We knew all too well how good Grieg (Brunswick/VFA) was and it was no surprise to us to see him dominate his wing and that general area of the ground
at the time we (and Tigers fans) loved Bryan Wood and he was a very good player but Grieg was another level
his high marks were like Disco Roach and his long kicking was a feature but he also covered ground amazingly quick and seemingly effortlessly

there is the odd brownlow winner that gets labelled as unworthy , think Wowoedin , I'd wouldn't put Greig in that group
Barlett, Bourke , Hunt and Grieg all had big years , the two sides played off in the GF
I’d put Teasdale in the unworthy group. Should have had the Brownlow taken off him for the suit alone.
 
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Sintiger

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at the time we (and Tigers fans) loved Bryan Wood and he was a very good player but Grieg was another level
his high marks were like Disco Roach and his long kicking was a feature but he also covered ground amazingly quick and seemingly effortlessly
The Bryan Wood / Keith Grieg thing was not necessarily about who was the better player. It was in a time when wingers played directly on each other and time and time again Wood got the better of Greig. For some reason it was a great match up for us.
Grieg was a terrific player but I would take issue with one thing you said about him. Imo one of the reasons why Wood did so well on Grieg was because he was so good overhead and we exploited that when they played on each other.
 
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DavidSSS

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Dec 11, 2017
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there was a good bit of Keith Who ? at the time , but do feel that got a life of its own and was blown way out of proportion
my family were avid football fans Tigers VFL saturday and Bullants VFA Sunday
We knew all too well how good Grieg (Brunswick/VFA) was and it was no surprise to us to see him dominate his wing and that general area of the ground
at the time we (and Tigers fans) loved Bryan Wood and he was a very good player but Grieg was another level
his high marks were like Disco Roach and his long kicking was a feature but he also covered ground amazingly quick and seemingly effortlessly

there is the odd brownlow winner that gets labelled as unworthy , think Wowoedin , I'd wouldn't put Greig in that group
Barlett, Bourke , Hunt and Grieg all had big years , the two sides played off in the GF

I remember at the time that Greig was a brilliant player but just about everyone thought that Bartlett had a better season than Greig. Greig won the Brownlow in 1973 so was well known and while I wouldn't say he didn't deserve the 1974 Brownlow in the sense that he was great in 1974, I just reckon Bartlett was better. Still, I reckon Greig would have swapped the Brownlow for the Premiership every day of the week.

DS
 
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ceehook2

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A KB moment , at Waverly , KB picks up the ball next to the defensive behind post , he dodged and weaved his way up the whole ground and had a shot for goal , he missed , he was filthy with him self
a few minutes later an almost identical play and he nails the goal this time
sorry cant remember the opponent or year ( be 73-75)
plenty of serious attempts to tackle him , he just dodged them all
was sitting on the fence and he came down our side , so a great view of something very surreal

the crowd was stunned , supporters from both sides , somebody said "he brought his own ball"

no wonder we loved him :)
 
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tora

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Dec 10, 2021
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Just looking at the KB, the footbaler , and the Brownlow thing

this is my take on things

most brownlow winners and those that poll well have some WOW factor
and that WOW can come in many forms
for many years Richo was our best poller in the Brownlow and his WOW factor was contested marking
he took so many heavilly contested marks it set him apart also supporting that WOW he cut an imposing figure on the field

Lids and Joel Bowden also would poll well , their WOW was silky smooth moves thru traffic and beautiful stylish kicks to finish

KB did not cut an imposing figure , KB did not have a stylish kicking action
he just kept getting the ball , he worked both ways , he didn't appear to be fast like Matty White or Castagna but people had trouble catching him

opposition supporters hated him , some of it come from his milking of the holding the ball rule but alot was he was so effective but didn't cut a figure they could respect, a whispy little guy with a comb over flapping in the breeze , as he would slip out of yet another pack cries of "get the little bastard" or "get that little rat" would ring out ,
he just didn't get respect from the general public and obviously the umpires

during the height of the KB era we had Ian Stewart win a brownlow , his long kicks to Balme , Ricky McLean and others ... were sublime and his courage to drift infront of packs and takes marks was WOW and he fittingly won a 3rd brownlow

KB pumped plenty of ball into that forward line , but they were floaty kicks , effective but not stylish

where he might have polled some serious votes was 1980 , his finals series was one out of the box and if they were H&A games he'd probably got a string of best on grounds , but he did get a premiership medal :)

my memory of the 70's was the Richmond supporters loved Royce and loved KB and we had several champion sides during that period littered with seriously good players but those two were the standout for most supporters , and today it would be Dusty & Cotch

please dont let KB the radio personality or time change change the history books
Been looking at some replays of Grand finals from 67 to 74. A bit harsh to judge a player based on one game but kB doesn't stand out. In any of the games. His opponent Rovers were not outstanding either. I thought Barrot was best on in 69. Also interesting to watch Sheedy be so good. The 73 win was a grind against Carlton. Green was good some years not others. Bourke and Clay were consistently good. Our defence was good, every year. Hunt, Keane, jewel, Wings were generally good but wood was well beaten by Greig.
I actually went to the grannies between 72 and 74. With average views of the actual game. And I didn't really watch much football from the mid 70s. I liked KB the player. Didn't like the way he kept a grudge about his sacking. I saw dusty in 2020 granny and that was a BOG. Performance. Its luck for KB and Brent Harvey. That they are so durable. 300 games at the top level is amazing and I hope Edwards, dusty and cotch join kB and Bourke soon. PS. Wayne Walsh was a great addition. As was sproule. Some great work by GR
 
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ceehook2

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Been looking at some replays of Grand finals from 67 to 74. A bit harsh to judge a player based on one game but kB doesn't stand out. In any of the games. His opponent Rovers were not outstanding either. I thought Barrot was best on in 69. Also interesting to watch Sheedy be so good. The 73 win was a grind against Carlton. Green was good some years not others. Bourke and Clay were consistently good. Our defence was good, every year. Hunt, Keane, jewel, Wings were generally good but wood was well beaten by Greig.
I actually went to the grannies between 72 and 74. With average views of the actual game. And I didn't really watch much football from the mid 70s. I liked KB the player. Didn't like the way he kept a grudge about his sacking. I saw dusty in 2020 granny and that was a BOG. Performance. Its luck for KB and Brent Harvey. That they are so durable. 300 games at the top level is amazing and I hope Edwards, dusty and cotch join kB and Bourke soon. PS. Wayne Walsh was a great addition. As was sproule. Some great work by GR
bourke Barrot Clay - at about 12 yrs of age I heard it described as the centreline from heaven , and in the following years I could appreciate how that was a very true statement

and then to witness Bourke & Clay reinvent themselves as defenders , of a high calibre , was a privilege

they were talent stacked sides thru that period but so was Carlton 72/73 and North 74
was there for the 74 GF way up the back of Bay 13 , bit of a ned kelly view , but was there and absorbed the atmosphere

KB grudge - it feels like he's hung on too long , but would have to walk in his shoes to truly know or have been within the club at the time to be able to call him out
an unfortunate chapter in Tigerland history

KB & Harvey - luck with injury of course , but also appeared to be very professional in their approach to preparation for their time
Don't know if Cotch's body will let him , this year might be a good guide , but Edwards and Dusty look likely for long careers , fingers crossed

Walsh & Sproule - yes yes , my memory of Walsh is he would get cramps in the calves and have to get them rubbed way more than others , but he did run alot too

did we not win 1st's , 2nds & 3rds and Glen Waverly U17's(people called that our 4ths ) in '74 ? so much talent

67 - 82 was a true golden period

we are in a similar situation , success , deep talent on the list , lets hope we learn good and bad stuff from that golden period with Balme around and the well publised stories
 
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123cups

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KB's era looked much tougher and required a level of courage that I assume was war-like, which is something totally foreign to people growing up today.

It wasn't as much of a pure sport compared to now, but the potential to be seriously maimed by rage-fuelled enemies provided a level of emotional threat for the onlooker in the stands that is rare today.

I felt it when Danger knocked out Vlastuin.

The difference today is the team's response was to play pure football to be point we actively avoided unnecessary contact to their injured star player. The game has certainly changed.
 
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ceehook2

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let the football do the talking



warning the following contains footage of handballs , just a couple :)


 
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achillesjones

"just kick it to Royce"
Apr 19, 2004
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In Bartlett's days the best from all over Australia found their way to Victoria. There were super teams playing a tough brand of footy. With 18 teams, the talent pool has been spread and you could argue that flags are now easier to win. Three teams have won three in close succession in recent years. Lions, Hawks and Tigers.

Bartlett would be a champion today and Dusty would have been a champion in the 70s. Bartlett's gift was that you couldn't put him off his game or catch him. He was like one of those super bouncy balls we used to play with. They bounced back harder than you threw them.
 
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Tenacious

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Also 1973 when we won everything.

DS

Jack Dyer was having a bellyache on WOS in one of those premiership years - can’t remember which - because we didn’t win the Little League to make it a clean sweep.
 
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