Tigers give up on Kevin Bartlett
25 March 2005
Herald Sun
Mark Robinson
THE stand-off between Kevin Bartlett and Richmond is now two-ways. Frustrated by his inability to convince Bartlett to return to Punt Rd, Tigers president Clinton Casey has turned his back on the AFL games recordholder.
Casey said he had approached Bartlett three times to attend functions at Tigerland for three rejections.
"My last discussion with Kevin was to say to him that I wouldn't embarrass myself again by trying to persuade him to come back to Richmond," Casey said. "I've embarrassed myself three times on three separate occasions. They were big occasions that the club had (organised) and we sat down.
"I'm the sort of guy who thinks for every problem there is a solution, but I've tried three times without success.
"He always knows where we are and let's leave it at that."
Bartlett has refused to return to Richmond after being sacked after the 1989 season.
The long-running saga resurfaced this week when Collingwood legend Thorold Merrett urged Bartlett, on SEN radio, to end the impasse.
Bartlett, as he has done with Casey and several Richmond officials in the past 15 years, did not entertain the idea.
While the Bartlett issue appears dead, the Tigers have welcomed back former player and media identity Rex Hunt, whose brainstorm to join the Tigers board last year was thwarted when it was revealed he was not a paid-up member.
Hunt is aiding the marketing department and could again be a boardroom contender.
"I haven't had a further chat to Rex about a board position," Casey said. "But we've had a number of chats to Rex about assisting the club.
"He's doing the voice-overs on our membership campaign, he presented our awards at our season launch (on Wednesday night) and the good news is he is a member."
In a wide-ranging interview, Casey has revealed the affect last year's bitter election campaign had on his family, and spoken about Brad Ottens, Eddie McGuire and the TV rights, and the drug-testing of AFL officials.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,12650237%255E19771,00.html
