Big Rex goes after Bartlett - again
By Dan Oakes
August 30, 2004
Richmond premiership player-turned-football commentator Rex Hunt has launched another stinging attack against his former teammate Kevin Bartlett over an interview published in The Sunday Age yesterday.
Bartlett has been estranged from the Tigers since he was sacked from the coaching job in 1991, but Hunt, among others, has unsuccessfully implored the Richmond legend to reconcile with the club where he won five premierships and five best-and-fairest awards.
The two, who played together in the 1969 and 1973 premiership sides, fell out spectacularly last year when Hunt criticised Bartlett for refusing to attend functions at the club.
But Hunt's outburst yesterday on 3AW was sparked by Bartlett's claims in the interview that in his playing days, his loyalties lay more with coach Tommy Hafey than Richmond. Hafey coached the Tigers from 1966-1976, winning four premierships, and still talks to Bartlett every day.
Hunt said that he nearly vomited when he read the "Hafey and Bartlett buddy, buddy" interview and that Bartlett's claims that the loyalties of other players of the era also lay with Hafey were false.
"Kevin, I need you to call me and tell me what other players were playing for Tom and the Richmond Football Club was secondary," Hunt said.
"I need a psychologist to tell me what Kevin's on about. I don't give a stuff whether he ever goes back to Richmond, and you know what, Kevin? Neither do most people because you've dug a hole so big for yourself.
"Why would I ever wish that this bloke ever came back to the club? Because Terry Wallace, make no mistake, will make this place roll and rattle again. What, will Bartlett turn up when everything's fine and come back?"
Bartlett shrugged off Hunt's criticism, saying that it was his and Hunt's prerogative to play for whoever they chose to.
"When Tommy was coach, I played for Tommy Hafey. If others played for supporters, or if others played for their dad, or their best friend, or the jumper, then that's who they played for. I'm telling you who I played for," Bartlett said.
Hunt also attacked Bartlett for refusing to sign a piece of memorabilia commemorating the 1969 premiership.
Hunt paid $6500 for the framed collection of individual headshots of that year's premiership players. Bartlett was the only living player not to autograph the piece, which was auctioned at a function for the Tommy Hafey Club.
"Please tell me why I get so angry and why I felt so dudded in paying thousands of dollars for a bloke that wouldn't sign the premiership thing to raise money for his best friend's club?" Hunt said.
Bartlett said he had told the club that he was happy to sign any memorabilia, as long as knew who was buying it.
"I'm more than happy to sign it for Rex, as long as I can personalise it. If he had have told me in the first place that he was going to buy it, I would have signed it for him then," Bartlett said.
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/08/29/1093717843885.html
