Early life
Bourke's father, Frank, was serving in the RAAF and on leave in Melbourne when he played a solitary game for Richmond in 1943. A tall (193 cm) and lean (85 kg) full forward with an excellent reputation in country football, Frank returned to the city after the war and resume his playing career with Richmond. In the opening weeks of the 1946 season Frank kicked five or more goals six times in the first seven matches to lead the VFL goalkicking table. Injury curtailed further progress. Bourke was born the following year in Caulfield. Bourke was raised on the family's dairy farm, about 40 km north west of Shepparton in northern Victoria, where his father was appointed captain-coach of his home town team, Nathalia. He attendedThe quiet country recruit
At this point, Bourke was not confident of making the grade as a league footballer. He was convinced to move to Melbourne for the 1967 season by the prospect of playing a few senior games, enough to make him credentialled to coach country clubs. As it proved, Bourke's timing was exquisite. He debuted for Richmond as a second rover (to Kevin Bartlett), but after a few games was switched to a wing, forming a brilliant centreline with Dick Clay and Bill Barrot. A mobile player with good marking skills, Bourke was part of the experiment by Richmond to use tall players on the wing as part of their long-kicking game plan. Within a few years, most men playing on the wing in league football would be of similar physique to Bourke. By the end of the season, Bourke's thoughts about returning to the bush had evaporated. Richmond won its first premiership in 24 years and the centreline of Bourke-Barrot-Clay was acknowledged as the best in the game and a key reason for the Tigers' success. The following season, Bourke made his debut for Victoria and finished third in the best and fairest. Another flag followed in 1969, then Bourke had his best season in 1970, winning his only best and fairest award."St Francis"
Bourke's name became a by-word for courage. His persistence was recognised by Richmond when it awarded him the club's "Most Determined" trophy in 1967, 1972, 1977 and 1980. Just as he had continued to play after being warned not to when aCaptain, then elder statesman
In 1976, Bourke was appointed captain of the club and he responded with a great season, although the team slipped down the ladder. He finished third in the Brownlow medal and third in the club's best and fairest award, demonstrating a phenomenal consistency; in nine seasons between 1968 and 1976, Bourke was placed seven times in the best and fairest count. However, the first signs of advancing age showed the following year. Bourke was so disappointed with his form at one point he privately contemplated retirement, but he continued on and proved his mettle by captaining Victoria against West Australia and leading Richmond into the finals. Key position defenders were in short supply at Richmond, so Bourke was forced to play at centre half back even though he lacked height for the position. At the end of the season, he decided to resign the captaincy in an effort to prolong his career. This decision paid off in 1980, when the Tigers returned to power and again won the premiership. Due to his slowing leg speed, Bourke was now at full back but still a formidable opponent. Two weeks before the finals, Bourke entered football folklore in a match at Arden Street against North Melbourne. Bourke received an accidental finger in the eye, which quickly filled with blood that poured down his face and on to his guernsey. At the time there was no " blood rule" (requiring bleeding players to leave the field until the bleeding is stopped) and Bourke shifted to the forward line. Although he could barely see through the mass of blood, he dived full-length to take a chest mark, then kicked an important goal to ensure Richmond had a narrow win. Bourke, along with Kevin Bartlett, played in all five Richmond premierships of the era, which constitutes the club record. Aged 34, he decided to soldier on in 1981 and became only the third Tiger to play 300 games. However, his form was not always equal to the personal standard that he had set and when it became obvious that Richmond wouldn't make the finals to defend the premiership, Bourke retired. Note that changes to the way records are compiled was made after Bourke's retirement, and his official games tally has been reduced to an even 300, of which 23 were finals and six Grand Finals.Coach
Just months after his playing retirement, Bourke was controversially pitched into the coaching position at Punt Road. The Tigers had decided to sack Tony Jewell, a premiership teammate of Bourke, just twelve months after he coached Richmond to the 1980 premiership. Although few doubted that Bourke was coaching material, the nature of his appointment and his lack of coaching experience at any level were significant hurdles to overcome. However, in 1982 Bourke took the Tigers to only their third minor premiership since the war and impressed critics with a brilliant tactical display in the semi final against Carlton. Bourke made a series of positional changes at the beginning of the game and ordered his men to slow down the Carlton play-on game, giving away fifteen-metre penalties as necessary. The Tigers won easily, and Bourke became one of only a handful of coaches to make the Grand Final in his first season. The dream debut of a premiership was not to be. In theThird generation
Unfortunately, Bourke became one of the club's many great servants who were treated poorly by Richmond and endured a period of estrangement from Punt Road. Bourke had a stint as a specialist coach for Melbourne during the 1980s, and finally returned to Richmond in 1992 as chairman of selectors. He stood down from the position when his son David (born 9 January 1976) was recruited by the Tigers as a father-son selection in the 1994 AFL draft. At 193 cm and just 80 kg, David was built like his grandfather. His career suffered from an inability to bulk up to a heavier weight, and he was frustratingly inconsistent. David inherited his father's fanatical desire to win the ball; however, his body wasn't built to take the punishment that this approach entailed. After 85 games in seven seasons (many of which started on the bench), David Bourke was traded to the Kangaroos for the 2002 season, but only managed one game in blue and white. For many years, Bourke was involved in the pub trade and was a more than useful cricketer with the Camberwell Cricket Club. In 1996, his ground-breaking play as a wingman earned him that position in the AFL's Team of the Century. He is also a hall-of-famer and life member of the AFL. Richmond have honoured him on a number of occasions, most notably in 2005 when he was named as one of four "immortals" of the club. The annual award for "Best Clubman", bestowed during the club's Best and Fairest count is named in his honour. In September 2007 he was the subject of a Toyota Legendary Moments advertisement withSee also
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