Kevin Bartlett can’t let his anger over clash guernsey become a distraction for Richmond
THE TACKLE: Kevin Bartlett is Richmond royalty but he must park his clash guernsey rage before he becomes a distraction in the Tigers’ biggest week, writes Mark Robinson.
Mark Robinson
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KEVIN Bartlett is Richmond royalty and with it comes privileges.
He’s been there and done that. He played 403 games, won five flags and five B&Fs — so when he speaks Tigers and all things football, he must be listened to and respected.
He’s a champion on and off the field.
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If you needed reminding of his superstardom on the field, all you had to do was watch Channel 504 on Sunday and the replay of the 1980 Grand Final, which was Richmond’s last premiership.
Wearing the traditional Richmond jumper, black with the yellow sash, Bartlett kicked seven goals and won the Norm Smith Medal.
Mick Malthouse played - and he’ll present the Jock McHale Medal on Saturday - and there was the Flea, the General, the Ghost, Disco and David Cloke, who booted six goals.
Drew Morphett was the commentator which was nice. Morphett, who passed away this year, and Tim Lane were the perfect combo. And, yes, Drew threw in a couple of “magnificents’’.
Of course, there was no such thing as clash jumpers then.
Bartlett’s insistence in attacking the AFL, starting 10 days ago on his radio station SEN, about Richmond potentially wearing its clash jumper in the Grand Final probably started as banter, but has now reached awkward levels.
When the AFL announced on Saturday night, Adelaide would wear its home jumper and Richmond its clash jumper, Bartlett was apoplectic.
He tweeted: “Richmond should and must tell the AFL to get stuffed and it will not wear its clash jumper against Adelaide. The club must not roll over.’’
Richmond should and must tell the AFL to get stuffed and it will not wear its clash jumper against Adelaide. The club must not roll over. Kb
— Kevin Bartlett (@KevinBartlett29) September 23, 2017
Oh my god the AFL says millions watching on tv will be confused.#jibberish. Kb pic.twitter.com/OyuTnQfiX6
— Kevin Bartlett (@KevinBartlett29) September 24, 2017
KB floats between being serious and taking the mickey on his radio program, but his stance on the jumper is whole-hearted.
But it’s time he parks his anger. The debate is over, Tigers officials certainly hope the debate is over.
They’ll never say it publicly, for Bartlett is a legendary Tiger, but goodness gracious, please, KB, let it go.
If KB continues to rant, it will be nothing but self-serving.
Richmond’s Grand Final week cannot be distracted by an argument which cannot be won.
The week is about celebration and preparation and a daily dose of whingeing doesn’t help anyone, not least the club and the players who want to focus on the game.
Clearly, the coach and the players don’t care.
Damien Hardwick said his team would play in hessian bags if they had to, the players clearly are not fussed and Richmond fans are just mightily relieved to be in a Grand Final and will cheer and chant even if the players were wearing Tellytubbie costumes.
The distraction this week is already on the agenda.
Skipper Trent Cotchin was colossal on Saturday, as good a preliminary final performance from a captain in recent memory, but an MRP decision hangs over his head.
The verdict will be returned about noon today and if Cotchin is suspended for his hit on Dylan Shiel, you’d expect an appeal to the tribunal to he held on Tuesday night.
It’s crazy to think a player could miss a GF because of it, but rule changes and the propensity to protect the players’ head, means Cotchin is in trouble.
Maybe the AFL tribunal members, who are human, will look at it more favourably than the MRP, which is dictated to by boxes.
If the incident occurred in the 1980 Grand Final, it wouldn’t even be discussed.
Cotchin threw himself at the contest, had eyes on the ball and it wasn’t a dirty or thuggish act. Indeed, Morphett and Lane would have lavished praise for putting his body between player and ball.
Unfortunately, for right or wrong, priority has changed and consequence now overrides inspiration.
The Tigers are chockful of the latter.
The first inspiring Rioli was Maurice. He arrived at Richmond in 1982 and won the Norm Smith Medal in a losing team, when the Tigers lost to Carlton by 18 points.
Then there was Cyril. He won the Norm Smith Medal in 2015.
Now, there is Daniel. He kicked four goals against Greater Western Sydney, all at crucial times of the game and, with Cotchin, vied for best afield honours.
Another Norm Smith for a Rioli would be ‘’magnificent’’.
James Hird will present this season’s medal and, in what would be a first since Hird departed the game, he is expected to accept an invitation to attend the official pre-game AFL luncheon.
It is yet to be determined who Adelaide and Richmond will nominate to present the premiership cup. That probably will be announced on Wednesday.
For all of KB’s love-hate relationship with the Tigers - he refused to go back to Richmond for a decade and a half after being sacked at the end of the 1991 season - he is a contender to hand over the cup.
So is 1980 premiership coach Tony Jewell, club legend Francis Bourke and the contemporary favourite, Matthew Richardson.
If the Tigers do win, the players will charge to the stage in their canary yellow.
But they won’t care because they will have written themselves into the history of the yellow and black.
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