Kevin Bartlett (Australian Rules Footballer)
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Kevin Charles Bartlett AM (born 6 March 1947) is a former
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er who played for the
Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victo ...
in the
Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
(VFL). Nicknamed "KB" or "Hungry" due to his appetite for kicking goals and apparent reluctance to handpass,Main (2006), p. 213 Bartlett is a Legend of the
Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...
and is the first VFL/AFL player to have reached the 400-game milestone, a feat since achieved by four other players as of 2022; he has played the third-most number of games of any player in VFL/AFL history. He is a key member of a golden era in Richmond's history, playing in five premiership teams and winning five
Jack Dyer Medal The Jack Dyer Medal is an Australian rules football award given each season to the player or players adjudged best and fairest for the Richmond Football Club. The award is now named in honour of Jack Dyer, a champion ruckman who won the award ...
s, equalling
Jack Dyer John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM (15 November 1913 – 23 August 2003), nicknamed Captain Blood, was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1931 and 1949. One of the ga ...
's own personal tally. Short and slender in stature, Bartlett possessed tremendous stamina, determination and a seemingly sixth sense to evade opposition players intent on negating his influence. He played much of his best football as Richmond's starting rover, but adapted superbly when moved to the half-forward flank towards the end of his career, as demonstrated in the 1980 VFL finals series. When Bartlett returned to the Tigers in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
as senior coach, the club were in a shambles as a result of a bitter trade feud with . Although his record as coach appears disappointing, he nonetheless achieved some surprise results with very limited resources. After being sacked at the end of
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
, he distanced himself from Richmond for nearly two decades. Following his retirement as a player, Bartlett developed a successful career as a sports commentator and broadcaster on both television and radio, currently working as a match caller for
3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693  kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...
. He was a member of the AFL's rules committee for many years—until he retired on 4 March 2014—as well as the selection panel for the
All-Australian Team The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...
and
AFL Rising Star The AFL Rising Star is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best young player in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the year. It was first presented in the 1993 season, and was won by Nathan Buc ...
awards. In 2008, Bartlett was listed by journalist
Mike Sheahan Michael Sheahan (born 4 March 1947) is an Australian journalist who specialises in Australian rules football. He was chief football writer and associate sports editor for the ''Herald Sun'' for 18 years. Although he left these positions at the ...
as the ninth-greatest player of all time in the AFL-commissioned book ''The Australian Game of Football''.


Early years and playing career

Bartlett was born in the inner-northern
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
suburb of
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
, the only son of Charles Bartlett, and grew up in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
. He supported as a young boy and was a spectator at the 1954 Grand Final triumph. As a teenager, he walked from his home in Lennox St., Richmond, to the
Punt Road Oval Punt Road Oval, also known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and former cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, Victoria, situated a few hundred metres to ...
, where he was greeted by the Richmond Fourths' coach Bill Boromeo. It was this chance meeting that set in motion Bartlett's path towards playing for Richmond. He began his career with the under-17s side, where he won the goalkicking and the best and fairest in 1962. In 1963, he won the best and fairest in the under-19s, and Richmond made the under 19s final series. Bartlett, however, was injured seconds into the first final against Geelong, which resulted him being taken to the Prince Henry Hospital, where it was revealed that a cyst was embedded in his hip. It was while waiting for the ambulance to collect him in the MCG change rooms that he first met
Jack Dyer John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM (15 November 1913 – 23 August 2003), nicknamed Captain Blood, was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1931 and 1949. One of the ga ...
. Dyer had appeared at the match, on the advice of Richmond under-19s coach
Ray Jordon Raymond Clarence "Slug" Jordon (17 February 1937 – 13 August 2012) was an Australian first-class cricketer who represented Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and toured with the Australian national cricket team. He was also a successful Au ...
, and visited Bartlett in the rooms to tell him he will be okay. The following year for Bartlett (1964) involved rehabilitation, as he still experienced pain around his hip area.Bartlett, Rhett: ''Richmond F.C : A Century of League Football''- 2008.


Records and Medal

Bartlett was also the first player in elite Australian rules football to play 400 premiership games, with only six others achieving the feat as of 2022, four in the VFL/AFL (
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
's
Michael Tuck Michael Tuck (born 24 June 1953) is a seven-time premiership-winning player, Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) / Australian Football League (AFL). His 426 career games was a VFL/ ...
,
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...
's
Brent Harvey Brent Harvey (born 14 May 1978), often known by his nickname "Boomer", is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He holds the record for most matches playe ...
,
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...
's
Dustin Fletcher Dustin Fletcher (born 7 May 1975) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played his entire 23-season career for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is widely acknowledged as one of the fines ...
and
Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
and Hawthorn's
Shaun Burgoyne Shaun Playford Burgoyne (born 21 October 1982) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the SANFL, and Port Adelaide and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Burgoyne ...
), one who played in the SANFL (Glenelg's Peter Carey), and one who played in both leagues (Port Adelaide and Carlton's
Craig Bradley Craig Edwin Bradley (born 23 October 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer and first-class cricketer. He is the games record holder at Carlton in the AFL/VFL, and in elite Australian rules football (the AFL/VFL, SANFL and WAFL). Early ...
; Burgoyne also played 26 SANFL games for Port Adelaide prior to his AFL career). His 403 premiership games remained an elite Australian rules football record until broken by Carey in Round 7 of the 1988 SANFL season, and an elite Victorian football record until broken by Tuck in Round 22 of the 1990 AFL season. Bartlett also played 20 matches for Victoria in interstate football, and 12 pre-season night series matches (which are recognised as senior by the SANFL and WAFL but not the VFL/AFL). If these are included, Bartlett played a total of 435 career senior matches. The VFL/AFL list Bartlett's total as 423, excluding his pre-season/night series matches. Depending on the viewpoint taken: * Bartlett's total remained an elite Australian rules football record until it was broken by Russell Ebert in either of Round 16 of the 1984 SANFL season (using the AFL/VFL's total of 423) or Round 8 of the 1985 SANFL season (using the overall total of 435); Ebert retired at the end of the 1985 SANFL season with a total of 446 or 447 career senior games. * Bartlett's total remained a Victorian elite football record until broken by Michael Tuck in either of Round 11 of 1991 or Round 16 of 1990; Tuck retired at the end of the 1991 AFL season with 437 or 466 career senior games. As of 2022, Bartlett's total of 423 or 435 career senior games ranks either seventh (using the AFL/VFL's total) or ninth (using his overall total) in elite Australian rules football, and depending on whether or not pre-season/night series matches are excluded, third behind Brent Harvey (445 or 491) and Tuck (437 or 466) or fourth behind Harvey, Tuck and Dustin Fletcher (408 or 442) in Victorian elite football. The Kevin Bartlett Medal is awarded each season to the player who finishes fifth in the
Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victo ...
's
best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...
count, with places one to four being the
Jack Dyer John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM (15 November 1913 – 23 August 2003), nicknamed Captain Blood, was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1931 and 1949. One of the ga ...
,
Jack Titus Jack "Skinny" Titus (9 March 1908 – 19 April 1978) was an Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1926 and 1943 for the Richmond Football Club. In the golden era of the 1930s, Titus was one o ...
,
Maurie Fleming James Maurice "Maurie" Fleming (1902 – 6 October 1980) was a long time administrator of the Richmond Football Club in Victoria, Australia. He served as Club Secretary from 1940 until 1954 and then as President from 1958 to 1963. Fleming was m ...
, and
Fred Swift Frederick Norman Swift (6 July 1938 – 28 April 1983) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He also played first grade cricket with the Eaglehawk Cricket Club in ...
Medals respectively.


Playing statistics

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1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 14 , , 13 , , 15 , , 183 , , 21 , , 204 , , 17 , , , , 0.9 , , 1.1 , , 13.1 , , 1.5 , , 14.6 , , 1.2 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 14 , , 19 , , 17 , , 222 , , 9 , , 231 , , 23 , , , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , 15.9 , , 0.6 , , 16.5 , , 1.6 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 20 , , 38 , , 35 , , 415 , , 32 , , 447 , , 42 , , , , 1.9 , , 1.8 , , 20.8 , , 1.6 , , 22.4 , , 2.1 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" , 1968 , style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 20 , , 38 , , 53 , , bgcolor="CFECEC", 481 , , 32 , , 513 , , 48 , , , , 1.9 , , 2.7 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 24.1 , , 1.6 , , 25.7 , , 2.4 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 1969 , style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 30 , , 43 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 547 , , 47 , , bgcolor="b7e718", 594 , , 79 , , , , 1.4 , , 2.0 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 24.9 , , 2.1 , , 27.0 , , 3.6 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 34 , , 32 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 569 , , 30 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 599 , , 79 , , , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 25.9 , , 1.4 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 27.2 , , 3.6 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 24 , , 53 , , 46 , , 512 , , 41 , , 553 , , 59 , , , , 2.2 , , 1.9 , , 21.3 , , 1.7 , , 23.0 , , 2.5 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 21 , , 34 , , 35 , , 441 , , 21 , , 462 , , 48 , , , , 1.6 , , 1.7 , , 21.0 , , 1.0 , , 22.0 , , 2.3 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 23 , , 31 , , 40 , , bgcolor="b7e718", 634 , , 38 , , bgcolor="b7e718", 672 , , 44 , , , , 1.3 , , 1.7 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 27.6 , , 1.7 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 29.2 , , 1.9 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 47 , , 50 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 607 , , 40 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 647 , , 48 , , , , 2.1 , , 2.3 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 27.6 , , 1.8 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 29.4 , , 2.2 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 23 , , 42 , , 50 , , 465 , , 70 , , 535 , , 37 , , , , 1.8 , , 2.2 , , 21.1 , , 3.2 , , 24.3 , , 1.7 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 27 , , 31 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 512 , , 63 , , 575 , , 72 , , , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 23.3 , , 2.9 , , 26.1 , , 3.3 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 23 , , 55 , , 33 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 585 , , 80 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 665 , , 111 , , , , 2.4 , , 1.4 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 25.4 , , 3.5 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 28.9 , , 4.8 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 44 , , 39 , , 474 , , 70 , , 544 , , 83 , , , , 2.0 , , 1.9 , , bgcolor="b7e718", 21.5 , , 3.2 , , 24.7 , , 3.8 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 36 , , 43 , , 447 , , 79 , , 526 , , 66 , , , , 1.6 , , 2.0 , , 20.3 , , 3.6 , , 23.9 , , 3.0 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 25 , , 84 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 67 , , 415 , , 59 , , 474 , , 61 , , , , 3.4 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 2.7 , , 16.6 , , 2.4 , , 19.0 , , 2.4 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 22 , , 58 , , 48 , , 313 , , 47 , , 360 , , 61 , , , , 2.6 , , 2.2 , , 14.2 , , 2.1 , , 16.4 , , 2.8 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 23 , , 58 , , 56 , , 266 , , 48 , , 314 , , 53 , , , , 2.5 , , 2.4 , , 11.6 , , 2.1 , , 13.7 , , 2.3 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
, style="text-align:center;", , 29 , , 19 , , 37 , , 44 , , 205 , , 31 , , 236 , , 55 , , , , 1.9 , , 2.3 , , 10.8 , , 1.6 , , 12.4 , , 2.9 , , , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 403 ! 778 ! 777 ! 8293 ! 858 ! 9151 ! 1086 ! ! 1.9 ! 1.9 ! 20.6 ! 2.1 ! 22.8 ! 2.7 !


Honours and achievements

*Team **5×
AFL Premiership This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL premiers. The Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990, is the elite national competition in men's Australian rules football. The inaugur ...
(
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
):
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
, 1969,
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
,
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
,
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
**3×
McClelland Trophy The McClelland Trophy is an Australian rules football trophy which has been awarded each year since 1951 by the Australian Football League (known prior to 1990 as the Victorian Football League) to the best-performing club in the home-and-away sea ...
(
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
): 1967, 1974, 1982 *Individual **
Norm Smith Medal The Norm Smith Medal is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best on ground in the Grand Final of the Australian Football League (AFL). Prior to 1990 the competition was known as the Victorian Football ...
: 1980 **5× Jack Dyer Medal (Richmond F.C. best and fairest): 1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1977 **4× Michael Roach Medal (Richmond F.C. Leading Goalkicker): 1974, 1975, 1977, 1983 (tied with
Michael Roach Michael Roach (born December 17, 1952) is an American businessman, spiritual leader, and former Buddhist monk and scholar who has started a number of businesses and organizations, written books inspired by Buddhism, and translated Tibetan Buddhis ...
) ** Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year Award: 1979 ** Victorian Representative Honours as Captain: 1980 ** Victorian Representative Honours ** Represented "The Galahs" on the Australian Football World Tour: 1968 ** Richmond F.C. Captain: 1979 ** Richmond F.C. Team of the Century – Rover ** Richmond F.C. Hall of Fame Inductee: 2002 ** Richmond F.C. – Best Individual Performance of the Century ** Richmond F.C. Immortal: 2004 (Conferred) ** Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend: 2000 Inductee


Coaching career

Bartlett was the Tigers' coach from 1988 to 1991. In the 1988 match against Hawthorn, after two Richmond players were felled, Bartlett was asked for a please explain by the VFL after comments he made. Controversy surrounding his dismissal as coach left him estranged from the football club for many years. However, on 30 March 2007 he attended his first official club function since 1991.


Administrative career

Kevin Bartlett was a key member and public face of the AFL " Laws of the Game" or Rules Committee until 4 March 2014. He was a selector of the
Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...
from its inauguration in 1996 until his resignation in 2009, and is a selector of the yearly
All-Australian team The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...
.


Media career

Bartlett joined Channel 7 in Melbourne immediately after his playing retirement, appearing regularly on World of Sport and hosting the Junior Supporters Club. In 1984, Bartlett was crowned ''King of
Moomba Moomba (also known as the Moomba Festival) is held annually in Melbourne, Australia. Run by the City of Melbourne, it is Australia's largest free community festival. The Melburnian tradition is celebrated over four days, incorporating the Labo ...
''. He also wrote for the Sun News Pictorial. His media commitments were put on hold during his four-year stint as
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
coach. He has great all-round interest in most sports, and is one of the few ex-
Australian football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modifie ...
players who has carved out a career commentating on all manner of sports. Since 2004, he has been a radio host on Melbourne's dedicated sports radio station, SEN – first with ''Hungry for Sport'', a morning show playing on his nickname of "Hungry", and then with ''KB and the Doc'' in the afternoon with John "Dr Turf" Rothfield beginning in 2018. He also commentates Saturday and Sunday matches for SEN. He previously had hosted the breakfast program on
Sport 927 RSN Racing & Sport (ACMA callsign: 3UZ) is an Australian radio station in Australia. Owned and operated by thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing bodies of Victoria, it broadcasts a sports radio format to Melbourne, and to much of Victo ...
until 2003. He commentated on cable-TV for
Fox Footy Fox Footy (stylised as FOX FOOTY) is an Australian rules football subscription television channel dedicated to screening Australian rules football matches and related programming. It is owned by Fox Sports Pty Limited, operated out of their Me ...
and was the host of the popular nostalgia show ''Grumpy Old Men'' on
Fox Footy Fox Footy (stylised as FOX FOOTY) is an Australian rules football subscription television channel dedicated to screening Australian rules football matches and related programming. It is owned by Fox Sports Pty Limited, operated out of their Me ...
until the channel's closure at the end of the 2006 season. He also did a Richmond-centric official alternate commentary for FOX's broadcast of Richmond vs. North Melbourne in June 2014 called "Press Red for Kev" in response to the "Press Red for Ed" Collingwood-centric alternate commentaries led by
Eddie McGuire Edward Joseph McGuire AM (born 29 October 1964) is an Australian television presenter, journalist and Australian Football League commentator. He is also an occasional ''Herald Sun'' newspaper columnist. He hosts Channel Nine’s Millionaire ...
. On 13 September 2008, he appeared in a
Toyota Memorable Moments The Toyota Legendary Moments series is a series of television advertisements produced over several years for the Australian Football League by its major sponsor, Toyota. The advertisements feature comedians Stephen Curry and Dave Lawson and a f ...
advertisement. The advertisement includes Bartlett recreating his seven goals from the 1980 VFL Grand Final, as well as his famous 'comb-over' hair style, which comedian Dave Lawson recreates by shaving his own hair on camera. Geelong's Matthew Scarlett impersonated the haircut, at his '
Mad Monday 'Mad Monday' is a term used in Australia to refer to the traditional end-of-season celebrations for professional (and sometimes amateur) players of various codes of football. Football matches are typically played on weekends; therefore, as the se ...
' celebrations after the 2008 Grand Final. Bartlett and fellow Richmond legend Matthew Richardson were also featured on an official 2018 recording of ''We're From Tigerland''. In 2019, Bartlett departed SEN following a dispute with management. Following this he joined the
3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693  kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...
football call team as a Sunday caller.


Return

Bartlett's refusal to return to any Richmond Football Club function, or an official club arrangement lasted from the end of 1991 until 2007. In 2007, he attended a Tommy Hafey Club Function – in support of his lifelong friend
Tom Hafey Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...
and on 22 November 2007, walked into the Punt Road ground (Richmond's home ground) to launch the centenary publication ''Richmond F.C: A Century of League Football'', which was written by his son Rhett. It was the first time KB had set foot into Punt Road since his sacking at the end of 1991.


Recognition

Bartlett was made a Member of the
Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
in 1981, and was inducted into the
Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...
and Richmond Hall of Fame in 1996 and 2002, respectively; he was promoted to "legend" status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and to "immortal" status in the Richmond Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also named as part of Richmond's team of the century. He was inducted into the
Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...
in 2006. On 22 March 2017, a statue of Bartlett was unveiled outside the
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...
.


Personal life

Bartlett married Denise Kilcullen, who was a talented runner as a youth, at St Paul's Anglican Church in
Ascot Vale Ascot Vale is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Ascot Vale recorded a population of 15,197 at the 2021 c ...
on 28 November 1970. They have four children: three daughters – Sharna, Cara and Breanna – and one son, Rhett. All three of the Bartlett daughters starred in track and field during their school days.''Sporting Life'' October 27, 2005 – KB's girl a star too
Geoff McClure for ''The Age''
Rhett is a writer, broadcaster, and historian of the Richmond Football Club, having released books about both his father and the club's history, as well as curating the "Tigerland Archive" website.


References


Bibliography

*1971 Tiger Year Book – Richmond Football Club *


External links

* * * *
AFL Hall of Fame – Legends
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartlett, Kevin 1947 births Living people Richmond Football Club players Richmond Football Club Premiership players Richmond Football Club coaches Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Australian rules football commentators Norm Smith Medal winners Victorian State of Origin players Members of the Order of Australia Jack Dyer Medal winners Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Radio personalities from Melbourne Five-time VFL/AFL Premiership players People from Richmond, Victoria