Mark Robinson sat down with some former greats and asked them that key question: Does not winning a premiership affect your legacy?
MATTHEW RICHARDSONRichmond
Games: 282. Goals: 800.
Premierships: 0
RICHARDSON SAYS:
“I think to a certain an extent because at the end of the day that’s what you play footy for. Ultimately, people do judge success on premierships. There is a bit of a void there and I’ve got no doubt other people judge it that way. Working in the media, a lot of my colleagues are premiership players and invariably when you’re sitting around in an airport lounge or at the hotel after a game, when the conversation comes up about premierships you feel like you check out of the conversation a little bit. You feel like you can’t get involved. It does come into your mind when you work in the industry. But after a time, you do get over it. With me, and this might sound ridiculous, but with Richmond winning the flag and (me) being a nuffy supporter, that felt like it sort of filled a bit of the void, even though I had nothing to do with it. Just seeing Richmond win one took away a bit of the emptiness of not winning one yourself. That was a good thing for me. And life’s not too bad is it? I’m working in footy 10 years after I finished playing, and being in my mid-40s, I haven’t too much to worry about.”
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE THERE’S ...
DARYL FREAMERichmond
Games: 17 (over five years). Goals: 5.
Premierships: 1
FREAME SAYS:
“I turned up at the ground on Grand Final day 1980, and most of the players had gone to get changed, so I assumed I wasn’t playing. Then Tony Jewell (coach) sat next to me told me to get downstairs and get changed. That’s how I found out. I came on about 15 minutes to go in the last quarter. I was only 22 and I was over the moon. It’s magnificent to play on the MCG and the crowd was fantastic. If you ask me if I can remember the whole game, I probably can’t. On the ground, you just heard the crowd roaring and cheering. I was just rapt to get a run and touch the ball a few times so I could say I was part of it. It was one of the best days of my life. Even now, and I’m in Perth, Richmond people still remember the Grand Final. I didn’t have a strong VFL career. but I’m rapt I can look back all the time and cherish it. I’m really proud. I’ve still got the video, my two young girls are 10 and 12, they don’t follow footy that much, but they like watching the video and me collecting the medal. I had a bit of luck, but that’s part of the game, I was there at the right time. The medal is in my sock in the shoebox.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-champions-who-didnt-win-a-premiership-reflect-on-how-that-affects-their-legacy/news-story/21bb9f41d2ebfd0f0420b0cd4ff1d73c
