In the 22^nd of a special richmondfc.com.au nostalgic series celebrating Richmond’s 50 years at home at the MCG, Tony Greenberg revels in Kevin Bartlett’s demolition of Collingwood in the 1980 Grand Final.

After winning acclaim as one of the greatest rovers in league football history, Kevin Bartlett had transformed himself into one of the competition’s most dangerous small forwards in the twilight of his career at Richmond.

When Tony Jewell took over the Tigers’ coaching reins at the end of 1978, he decided to move Bartlett to a half-forward flank, given the Club had a surplus of talented, small on-ballers such as Dale Weightman, Barry Rowlings, Robert Wiley and Paul Sarah.

Bartlett finished with a respectable total of 36 goals from the flank in 1979, but that was just an entrée to his scoring feast that was to follow in 1980.

After missing the finals in 1978 and 1979, Richmond re-emerged as a genuine force during the 1980 season.

And, Bartlett’s goalkicking exploits were a significant factor in Richmond’s resurrection.

He kicked 63 goals in the home-and-away rounds, as the Tigers secured the crucial double chance in the finals series.

A shock last round loss to South Melbourne at the Lake Oval, however, had seen Richmond slip from first to third on the ladder, setting up a qualifying final showdown with arch rival Carlton at Waverley Park.

The Blues, who had finished second, went in as favorites, but were blown away by a brilliant Bartlett blitz, on a day where the little Tiger veteran ‘champ’ broke the then VFL’s games record of 336.

Bartlett led the Blues’ backs a merry dance, kicking six goals in an electrifying exhibition of small forward play, which was the catalyst for Richmond’s convincing 42-point victory.

On the back of Bartlett’s brilliance, the Tigers had booked a berth in the second semi-final against Geelong at Waverley Park.

The Yellow and Black faithful wondered whether the man affectionately known by his initials ‘KB’, or ‘Hungry’ could repeat his heroics of the opening week of the finals series.

As it turned out, he didn’t replicate that performance – he produced an even better one! 

Bartlett booted eight goals out of the Tigers’ total of 14 in a hard-fought win that catapulted them into the Grand Final.

His supremacy up forward proved the difference between the two teams.

Two weeks later, Bartlett lined up in the premiership-decider against Collingwood, the team his old coach and close mate Tommy Hafey was now coaching.

The Magpies were on the verge of achieving realising football’s ‘Impossible Dream’.

They had finished fifth at the end of the home-and-away season and needed to win four out of four finals to take the flag.

A four-point victory over Geelong in the preliminary final made it three from three, with just Richmond standing in the way of their dream becoming a glorious reality.

Bartlett, however, proceeded to turn that black and white dream into a nightmare for them . . .

Yet again, he was hailed a superhero by Yellow and Black barrackers, after capping off a sensational finals series with seven goals in Richmond’s 81-point clobbering of Collingwood on that ‘one day in September’.

Before a huge crowd of 113,461, in dry, but overcast conditions, Bartlett turned on a masterful display of small forward play.

His first goal, in the opening term, was scored in typically will-o’-the-wisp manner, pouncing on the loose ball and racing into an open goal.

Richmond had got away to a flying start, and was 23 points in front at quarter time, with Bartlett having the one goal on the board, but not dominating at that stage.

That all changed in the second quarter . . .

By half-time, KB had kicked four goals, and the flag was all but in the bag for the Tigers, as they led by 43 points.

He created chaos for the Collingwood defenders in the second term through his pace, elusiveness and uncanny goal sense.

Time and again, he found the required space to rip the Magpies to shreds.

Bartlett was goalless in the third quarter, but that didn’t prevent Richmond from extending its lead, which was an extremely healthy 59 points at the final change.

The last quarter became the Kevin Bartlett show . . .

He booted a further three goals, to put the icing on the Yellow and Black premiership cake.

His seventh, and final goal for the day, is regarded as the best of the 778 he scored throughout his wonderful 19-year league career.

As the Grand Final entered time-on in the last quarter, Bartlett contested a mark with his Collingwood opponent Stan Magro.

When the ball hit the deck, Bartlett swooped to take possession, but he was facing away from the Richmond goals.

In a flash, he turned Magro inside out, weaving his way around the boundary line, before streaming forward, bouncing the ball, steadying,  and then threading it between the ‘big sticks’ from a seemingly impossible angle.

And, he celebrated in trademark style, jubilantly pumping his fists in the air, much to the total delight of the Tiger Army.

From his book, KB:  A Life In Football’, this is Bartlett’s account of that magical goal . . .

 “Tigers rover Daryl Freame had come off the bench.  He kicked the ball out wide to me and I was just able to trap it.  I could sense that Stan was right there.

“As a kid we all practised doing the old fake blind turn, and here came my moment to do that.  In fact, I had to blind-turn Magro because I was so hard up against the boundary line.

“I remember Freame had run on after kicking to me and he was able to shepherd Magro out a bit for me and that gave me the space on the boundary line to take bounces and steady before I kicked the goal.

“It was a very acute angle, with much room for error.  It happened very quickly, but my luck and confidence were sky high.  As soon as I kicked the ball I knew it was a goal.  It came off the boot so sweetly and straight.  The goal umpire didn’t move.”

Richmond had won by a then record margin for a league Grand Final of 81 points, and Kevin Bartlett had enhanced his status as one of the competition’s all-time greats, with that sizzling seven-goal display, which earned him the Norm Smith Medal for being best afield.

Here’s how 1958 Brownlow Medallist, former St Kilda champion Neil Roberts, writing in the ‘Sunday Press’, summarised Bartlett’s 1980 Grand Final performance . . .

“Give a hungry man starvation corner (the half-forward flank position) and if he is good enough he can turn it into a smorgasbord.  Bartlett’s bare legs and bald pate yesterday captured the entire football empire on the most exciting football arena in Australia.

“In his inimitable style, he wriggled free for no fewer than 20 kicks, nine great marks and, best of all, one fabulous handpass.  Will you ever forget the way he ran in and had two quick bounces, then squeezed the ball through the eye of a needle for his last magic goal?”

1980 Grand Final details
Richmond            6.5          11.11     15.17     23.21 (159)
Collingwood       2.6          4.10        5.18        9.24 (78)

Goals – Richmond:  Bartlett 7, Cloke 6, Wiley 3, Keane 2, Roach 2, Jess, Rowlings, Weightman.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Raines 36, Keane 27, Wiley 26, Wood 23, Bartlett 21, Weightman 20.

Crowd:  113,461.