Author, Simon.
Published, May 19, 2009.

Lou Richards, a former Collingwood premiership captain and long time media personality, has been refused Legend’s status by the AFL. A media-driven campaign to get the AFL to grant Richards the status has been running for some time, but the AFL have offered Richards a lifetime achievement award instead. Read the Herald Sun article here. The status of AFL legend has fairly strict criteria; legends must be at the very pinnacle of the game, either as a coach or as a player, to be given the status of legend. Richards was a good player, and a club captain, but not amazing. Therefore, the selection committee has deemed him not eligible. End of story.

Actually, not really. This is the part that irks me. There have been widespread calls to make an exception for Richards, and instate him as a legend. The Herald Sun ran multiple stories on Richard’s desire to become a “legend”. Richards seems to think he deserves it. This strikes me as blatant arrogance. His attitude is being paraded and glorified by the media, especially the Herald Sun. Read the article linked above to see what I mean.

Not only that, but his family have some rather strange reasons as to why he should be a legend. His daughter said “He hoped in his heart of hearts that one day he would be a legend.” He was informed he couldn’t be a Legend, but then he refused to accept the lifetime achievement award offered to him. For Richards it was Legend status, or nothing. His daughter again, said “[No] matter how the offer was made it was never going to be what dad wanted.”

I have a few problems with the attitudes shown here. Firstly, Richards has decided he is worthy of Legends status, and therefore anything less is an insult. As I have said, this shows quite a bit of arrogance. Secondly, just because Richards ”wants” to be a Legend, some people have assumed he should become one. This is interesting because the authority of the matter is the selection committee of the AFL, and they have decided he doesn’t qualify. Richards can want it all he likes, but they make, and have made, the call. Thirdly, the quality of the reasons behind why he should get it deteriorated fairly rapidly, especially when politicians started weighing in on the debate. John Brumby said that because his family were prolific in AFL, he should get the status, but that is irrelevant to the selection criteria. Kevin Rudd said that he should be a Legend because he was widely known. Again, irrelevant. Richards is old, and ailing. Many other people are too, though. This is not relevant either.    

The culture we live in promotes “Me first”, and “I want”, “I deserve”, “I’m worth it” psychology. This saga illustrates it perfectly. Because Richards is a venerable figure in many circles, his attitude is being tolerated, if not supported. While he was a massive football media figure, a good player, and great ambassador for the game, he does not qualify for Legend status. That is how the rules stand. Sentinmentality seems to be ruling the day, here.  Just because you want something really badly doesn’t mean you should get it. No matter how much you think you deserve something, you won’t often get that either. Just because you are old, doesn’t mean you qualify for something you don’t qualify for. Richards’ attitude is arrogant and self-indulgent. I would be more likely to consider him a legend if he had remained humble.