Kevin Bartlett (Australian rules footballer)

Kevin Bartlett
A bronze statue of Bartlett displayed in Yarra Park by the MCG
Personal information
Full name Kevin Charles Bartlett
Nickname(s) KB, Hungry
Date of birth (1947-03-06) 6 March 1947 (age 77)
Place of birth Carlton, Victoria
Original team(s) Richmond 4ths
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 71 kg (157 lb)
Position(s) Rover / Half forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1965–1983 Richmond 403 (778)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
Victoria 20 (32)
International team honours
1968 Australia
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1988–1991 Richmond 88 (27–61–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1983.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1991.
Career highlights

Club

Representative

Overall

Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Kevin Charles Bartlett AM (born 6 March 1947) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Nicknamed "KB" or "Hungry" due to his appetite for kicking goals and apparent reluctance to handpass,[1] Bartlett is a Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame and is the first VFL/AFL player to have reached the 400-game milestone, a feat since achieved by five other players as of 2024; he has played the fourth-most 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 Medals, equalling Jack Dyer's 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.[1] 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 as senior coach, the club were in a shambles as a result of a bitter trade feud with Collingwood. Although his record as coach appears disappointing, he nonetheless achieved some surprising results with very limited resources. After being sacked at the end of 1991, 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. He was a member of the AFL's rules committee for many years—until he retired on 4 March 2014[2]—as well as the selection panel for the All-Australian Team and AFL Rising Star awards.

In 2008, Bartlett was listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as the ninth-greatest player of all time in the AFL-commissioned book The Australian Game of Football.[3]

  1. ^ a b Main (2006), p. 213
  2. ^ Guthrie, Ben (4 March 2014). "Worsfold joins Laws of the Game committee". AFL. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Mike Sheahan's top 50 players". AFL.com.au. Australian Football League. 6 March 2008. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.