Author Topic: One-on-one with Richmond legend and passionate Tigers fan Francis Bourke (Fox)  (Read 843 times)

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AFL Outsider: One-on-one with Richmond legend and passionate Tigers fan Francis Bourke

Brett Geeves
September 30, 2017
FOX SPORTS


IT IS rare that you meet someone with the sporting pedigree of Francis Bourke.

Five premierships, selection in the AFL Team of the Century and Richmond Team of the Century, induction into Richmond’s Hall of Fame as an Immortal and the Australian Football Hall of Fame — a remarkable string of accolades earned over a lifetime of complete sporting domination.

Yet I am more awe-struck by the humility and grace in which he holds himself.

As we attempted to work together on a suitable time and location to chat about Bourke’s ambassador role with soft drink Lift, I sent him a text. His response was to call me back — I guess it’s a generational thing.

“Hi Brett, Francis here, I hope you don’t mind me calling you.”

I so desperately wanted to respond with: “Francis, please, you are on a list of only three others that could walk into my house unannounced and help yourself to my fridge, such is your elite stature in the football world”. Instead, I stuttered and then giggled like a schoolgirl receiving her first ever love letter.

As I stood at the Kevin Bartlett statue on the walkway of fame into the MCG — our meeting point — I watched Bourke engage with at least 100 fans of the game in the space of 20 minutes.

Fans from all teams stood doughie-eyed as one of the game’s most decorated players embrace every starstruck person like they were a member of his own family. His hand not placed by his side for the requested keepsake of a photo, but on a shoulder, or giving a thumb’s up, or placed in a welcoming, endearing and respectful position, depending on the muse.

But it was the love from the Richmond faithful that shone brightest. There was that admiration, respect and complete devotion normally reserved for biblical figures.

“You should have your own statue, Francis. You are bloody legend and an icon of our great game,” was a phrase constantly uttered as each family member waited in line for their moment with Bourke.

Many former players would have revelled in the recognition for the overwhelming love that was on display. But again, it was his response that had me standing in complete awe of a man that has earned every right to reply in a manner that suggests an element of swagger.

“No way,” he continually rebuffed, almost offended.

“It was an honour and a privilege to play with Kevin Bartlett. He was the best, the absolute best.”

It makes you wonder: What would be the most appropriate statue pose to best represent Bourke’s contribution to the game?

It’s a shame that those statues don’t display in colour, because how could you appropriately highlight the blood dripping down Francis’ broken face from the image seemingly ingrained in the psyche of anyone discussing Bourke the footballer?

“The one thing that is obvious, and comparable to the Richmond teams who I shared success with some time ago, are the human qualities across the group that feed the contagiousness of winning,” Bourke told AFL Outsider.

“It was a little easier to build that in the ‘70s — we only had seven full-time staff and the players in 1980. Now the club has more staff than it does players and the membership has risen from 7,000 to 75,000.”

As Bourke says, he’s “just like a fan now”.

“I ride the highs and lows and was disappointed, like everyone, the way we finished last year. And then it seemed to get worse with the board coup,” Bourke said.

“But the positives are that moment seemed to have triggered the shift in attitude and change required.

“I am just so proud of the way the club has responded and to be in this position is a testament to the hard work of all involved.”

One thing is for certain: Bourke’s role of ambassador to the soft drink Lift — who have created special LIFT Tigers limited edition packs to celebrate the occasion and show its support to the Tigers by way of only 30,000 bottles exclusive to COLES — is the perfect fit.

Bourke not only epitomises everything positive about the Richmond Football Club and its successes, both previous and current. He and his wife Kerry epitomise how we should all approach life.

Respect, harmony and an approach to equality for all that, through time given and the humility displayed, are rarer traits than a Richmond premiership of the last 37 years.

All of that was on display on Friday when Bourke, with class, grace and passion, mixed with the Richmond faithful, who were all as nervous as him.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-outsider-oneonone-with-richmond-legend-and-passionate-tigers-fan-francis-bourke/news-story/0e52e88a8f98d577cef71e7052aaf7ed