Footy icon Kevin Bartlett walks away from SEN Radio after 15 years

Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett has made the call to tear up his contract early following reports of simmering tensions at his radio station.

KB is yet to announce where he will go next.

Footy icon Kevin Bartlett has announced his decision to walk away from SEN Radio after 15 years with the station.

The Richmond legend revealed exclusively to The Herald Sun on Monday his decision to walk away surrounds conflict over the direction the Melbourne-based station is heading in.

The report outlines growing tensions between Bartlett and high-profile SEN chairman Craig Hutchison forced Bartlett to move on.

He announced to station executives last week and is currently seeing out his month’s notice.

“I really enjoyed the old SEN and it’s fair to say I haven’t enjoyed the new SEN,’’ Bartlett said.

“I’m going to do other things, I don’t know what I’m going to do, I’m just having a break.”

He called SEN’s Saturday night coverage of Western Bulldogs’ upset win over Geelong.

The Herald Sun revealed last month that the relationship between Hutchison and Bartlett had been fractured by the decision to punt the Richmond legend from his morning slot at the start of the year.

One of Hutchison’s first moves since the merger between Crocmedia and SEN’s parent company was to bring in AFL 360 star Gerrard Whateley to replace Bartlett in the morning role — moving Bartlett to an afternoon position on the KB and the Doc Show, alongside John Rothfield, otherwise known as Dr Turf, beginning from 3pm.

Kevin Bartlett is one of the most popular footy voices in radio.

The report outlined that Bartlett’s contract was due to expire at the end of 2019 and it had already been mutually decided that the contract would not be renewed in 2020.

Bartlett has reportedly received interest from rival media organisations, including Macquarie Sports Radio.

His decision to quit before his contract expires completes a year of carnage at the station since Hutchison’s takeover.

Hutchison’s Crocmedia’s merger with SEN’s Pacific Star Network was never going to be completed without blood being spilt, but the number of high-profile footy commentators parting ways with the iconic station made the takeover one of the biggest off-season stories in the AFL.

High-profile Melbourne Demons legend David Schwarz and his afternoon offsider Mark Allen were axed alongside regular contributors Rodney Hogg and Mark Robinson.