Playing Career
Bartlett was a rover and goalkicker who was known as 'Hungry' due to his unwillingness to handball. He is known for great evasiveness and stamina, he could win a game off his own boot. A winner of five premierships with Richmond, he also won the Norm Smith Medal in 1980 after kicking seven goals in the Grand Final. With 403 games, only Michael Tuck of Hawthorn has played more VFL/AFL games. Bartlett was renowned for his skill and concentration on the game and was instrumental in many Tiger wins.
The "Kevin Bartlett Medal" is awarded each season to the player who finishes fifth in the Richmond Football Club's Best and Fairest count, with places one to four being the Jack Dyer, Jack Titus, Maurie Fleming, and Fred Swift Medals respectively.
Bartlett grew up barracking for the Footscray Football Club, and watched their only premiership in 1954. As a teenager, he walked from his home in Lennox St, Richmond to the Punt Road Oval, where he was greeted by Richmond's Fourth coach Bill Boromeo. It was this chance meeting that set in the motion for Bartlett to eventually play at Richmond. He began his career with the under 17's side where he won the goalkicking and the best and fairest in 1962. In 1963, he won the Best and Fairest in the under 19's and Richmond made the under 19's 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. Dyer had appeared at the match on advice of Richmond under 19's coach Ray Jordon – 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.
Read more about this topic: Kevin Bartlett (Australian Rules Footballer)
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