Former Richmond Football Club champion, Kevin Bartlett, will be immortalised with a bronze statue outside the MCG as the latest addition to the Australia Post Avenue of Legends.

The statue of the five-time premiership player will be created by sculptor Lis Johnson, following her outstanding previous work on the Norm Smith, John Coleman, Neil Harvey and Jim Stynes statues situated in Yarra Park between MCG Gate 2 and Jolimont station. It is expected that the Bartlett statue will be completed and unveiled prior to the start of the AFL season next March.

During a 403-game career with Richmond between 1965 and 1983, including 27 finals, Bartlett was a highly skilful rover and goalkicker with evasiveness and stamina. He was a key figure in the glory era that saw the Tigers win four premierships in eight years from 1967-74.

The man known as “KB” was the first player to reach the rare 400-game milestone, with only Hawthorn’s Michael Tuck, Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher and North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey having since achieved the feat.

He won five club best and fairest awards, three of them in premiership years, as well as the Norm Smith Medal for the best afield in the 1980 VFL Grand Final. He also coached the Tigers for four seasons (1988-91).

"As a young kid I grew up in Lennox Street, Richmond in the shadows of the MCG and all my great football memories are about the MCG," Bartlett told media after the announcement. "As I grew up as a young kid watching Footscray win the '54 premiership as a Bulldogs supporter in those days and then having the honour of playing in five Richmond grand finals at the MCG.

"I played my first game here, I played my milestones here, my 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th games and I played my last game here as well and also my first game as coach and my last game as coach.

“So the MCG has had a big bearing on my life, it's played a big part in my life and I'm absolutely thrilled. It's a great honour."

Bartlett’s 778 career goals tally is still the 12th highest in VFL/AFL history. He kicked 379 of them at the MCG, a then record at the venue that has since only been surpassed by Matthew Richardson (464), Matthew Lloyd (461), David Neitz (386) and Wayne Carey (380). He also played more VFL/AFL games at the MCG (200) than any other player.

He has been granted Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, is an “Immortal” in the Richmond Football Club Hall of Fame and was selected in Richmond’s Team of the Century. He has also been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Bartlett’s passion for the game has not waned since he hung up the playing boots. In addition to being a popular football media personality, he has served as an Australian Football Hall of Fame selector, an All Australian team selector and was a long-time and passionate member of the AFL Laws of the Game committee.

“There are few individuals who had as much impact, or achieved as many remarkable feats, at the MCG as Kevin did during his extraordinary playing career,” said MCC president Steven Smith. “Renowned for his dedication, passion and sportsmanship, it is only fitting that ‘KB’ should be forever honoured outside the ground where so many of his on-field feats took place.”

“We acknowledge and thank Australia Post for their continued support for the Avenue of Legends, and more widely the sporting and cultural heritage of the MCG and surrounding precinct.”

Bartlett will be the 16th sportsperson with a statue outside the MCG, and the sixth to feature in the Australia Post Avenue of Legends.