Rene Kink on Open Mike

[The Prototype]

[uncanny]

Rene Kink always evokes for me one of the 70s whatifs?
Not playing McKenna in the 73 prelim summed up where the club was at back then. Put a 16 yo rookie in for his first game and leave the best full forward out we've had since before any of us can remember?
Go figure.
The new boy did well that day, as he did for the rest of his career but he never reached the status we all craved for both him and the team. It would have been a masterstroke if they found another player to drop and McKenna and Kink would have wrought havoc on the tigers and we'd have played the bloos again the next week in the big one.
It was not to be.
I believe both of their careers and our club's fortunes were all the poorer because of this...

[jackcass]

Flawed genius, was never a favorite despite the fact he could do the miraculous, others preferred.

[sixpoints]

I think a tad harshly judged. Kink was not a key position player and as a flanker contributed consistently over a number of years. Between 1977 - 1981 he played 107 games and kicked 185 goals. During those five seasons we made the Grand Final in four of them and the Prelim in the other.
He was an active contributor to us reaching all of those finals. But as often happens with non key position forwards, his quiet games in losses are unforgiven (ditto Leon Davis)
Let's be frank, we are not talking about Gary Ablett here. But as a damaging member of a hard working and consistently well performed team, he did well.

[Darkstranger]

I get the feeling he rated himself! But they go back to loving the might Black & White above all other teams they played for!

[qldmagpie67]

Good interview and dang he hates Sheedy gave him plenty in the talk. Called him a coward wo never spoke to you directly and didn't have the guts to look a man in the eye. But he said Sheedy could coach lol

[MagpieMad]

[neds elbow]

Probably the most overrated Collingwood player of all time.
Glad to see the back of him when he finally got moved on.
Still haven't forgiven him for turning the course of the game in the 1979 Grand Final when he spat in Jezza's face and clocked McKay.
We had the scum by the balls until that point. They fired up after that and never looked back.

[RudeBoy]

[sixpoints]

Granted all this happened a good while ago, but dismissing the aforementioned foggy memories, here are some actual facts regarding Rene Kink.
His first game was Round 19 1973 as a 16 year old. He played a few but got dropped before the finals. He was brought back for the Prelim v Richmond at full forward (replacing McKenna) and kicked 3 goals.
He was no dud in the 1977 Grand Final as a 20 year old - 15 possies & 2 goals from a flank is a solid contribution.
It was the next year - 1978 in which he was reported for striking Carlton's David McKay. That was in the First Semi Final which we won. He was suspended from the Prelim that we lost.
He was again a solid player in the 1979 Grand Final - 17 possessions & a goal on a rainy day. He was reported for spitting on Jezza in the first quarter. This was not the signal for a Pies collapse. The next two goals after the incident were scored by us. We lost by less than a kick and he scored a
crucial goal in the last quarter.
His greatest final was in the next year 1980. The first semi v Carlton where we thrashed them. His 27 possies & 3 goals was B.O.G by a mile. This only marginally beat his 3 goal performance in the next years -1981 Prelim win over Geelong.
As I posted before, he was a solid contributor and did step up in finals. Not in every final, I grant you, but he certainly cannot be labelled as a player who never performed in September. Remember he was only a flanker, and that can be a graveyard for the best of them in finals, so I don't get the angst....
ps if you haven't already sussed it out, he was my favourite player when I was a kid.

[Mugwump]

^ thanks for that sixpoints. It was a strange interview - perhaps not the subtlest mind in the class, Rene, but as a result, it was candid to the point of toe-clenching ! Great series, open mike.

[Brenny]

wow, he's born on the same day as my old man and my ex girlfriend...

[slangman]

Rene seems totally confused.

Kept saying how much footy didn't mean to him, but hasn't been able to let go of the GF losses. WTF????

[The Prototype]

I have enjoyed all the Open Mike interviews, and hope they keep going some very interesting stories come out. I didn't know much about Rene Kink, it was good just to see some more footage and hear some of the stories he had etc.

[dillo_09]