Lions.com.au caught up with Michael Richardson, who played 81 games in four seasons with the Brisbane Bears from 1987-1990.

Originally from Western Australia, you started your VFL career with Collingwood in 1983, then spent one year at Essendon in 1986, before heading up to Brisbane. What circumstances resulted in you moving from each of those clubs?

At the end of 1985, Collingwood had to cut some players to save money and stay within the salary cap, and Geoff Raines and I were caught up in that.

Essendon had just lost Tim Watson and Darren Williams to injury and approached us to join them.

At the time I thought it was a good move, but it turned out to be a really tough year – probably the toughest of my career. I just didn’t feel like I was totally accepted by the playing group.

Once that year had finished, I got a phone call from Shane O’Sullivan, who was part of the Brisbane scene back then, and he asked if I was interested in coming across to the Bears.

By then, I’d had enough of the cold Melbourne weather and saw it as a good opportunity to get a fresh start at a new team.   

You went on to play 81 games in four seasons with the Bears – which still stands as the 14^th most in their short 10-year history – and finished top four in the Club best and fairest twice. How did you find your time in Brisbane?

I was an inaugural team member, and naturally everyone tipped us to finish on the bottom of the ladder.

We won our first ever game against North Melbourne at the MCG and then went down to Geelong and beat the Cats. We followed up with a narrow loss to St Kilda at Carrara, and then beat Fitzroy – so we’d won three of our first four and surprised a lot of people.

We didn’t win too many more games that year, but managed seven and eight wins in the following two seasons.

Unfortunately 1990 was the end of my time at the Bears. We finished on the bottom of the ladder and Robert Walls took over and implemented a ‘youth policy’.

It was disappointing because I’d finished 4^th in the best and fairest award that year, and was playing some pretty consistent football. I’d averaged around 21-22 touches per game across half back and had less than a goal kicked against me per game.

But I was sacked the next year and headed back to Perth.  

Particularly coming from Collingwood and Essendon, what did you find were the biggest challenges coming up to Brisbane?

We were in a rugby state, so the support wasn’t there.

Also, our facilities were shuffled all over the place for some time until we ended up at Carrara. There was no solid infrastructure there for us.

We had mobile training sheds, which had been shipped in temporarily.

Christopher Skase had this grand plan of setting up the Carrara stadium as a multi-purpose venue, but that never eventuated in my time of course.

Everything at the venue was temporary – the stands, the clubrooms, and even the corporate facilities.

What position did you predominantly play? 

I spent most of my early days playing the role as a midfielder/half-forward. I led the goal-kicking at Collingwood in my first year there, and also with Swan Districts in a premiership year over in the West.

But in Brisbane I played most of my footy across the half-back line, and I actually really enjoyed it.

Because I’d played so much as a forward, I had a pretty good understanding of what the opposition forwards' moves would be, so I felt comfortable defending them.   

Who from your playing days do you still keep in contact with today?

Geoff Raines and I have remained really good friends, pretty much since the time I arrived at Collingwood. We later moved across to Essendon and Brisbane together, and have stayed mates for years.

We catch up regularly, and I’ve also had a bit to do with his son Andrew, who obviously plays for the Lions.

In 2010, which was Andrew's first year in Brisbane, I came up and worked on some skills with him. Because he’d played such a negative role at Richmond, he probably hadn’t developed some of his other attributes. So we worked on things like his kicking and decision-making.

Have you been pleased to see Raines afforded a more attacking role with the Lions so far in 2014?

He’s always had that ability, but it’s hard to show that when you’re playing that negative role year-in year-out.

Don’t get me wrong, I thought he performed that role really well, but he’s got a lot more to offer than that.

For the first five weeks this year, he went back to the reserves and just kept getting the ball. Now his opportunity has come and he’s starting to show people that he has more strings to his bow. He’s starting to come out of his shell a bit.   

Are there any other former teammates that you catch up with now and then?

I came across Mark Zanotti and Bernie Harris a couple of years ago when I attended one of the Club’s past player reunions. I actually got a text message from Bernie just the other day...

How about Warwick Capper? He shared his thoughts on his time at the Bears during an interview with The Age earlier this week. What was he like to play alongside?

To be honest, I get a little miffed at what he says about his time in Brisbane. He basically blames everyone else for the way he played.

He is totally delusional. He believed he was a superstar and he got it wrong. If he’s fair dinkum, he wouldn’t be saying the things about the other players he played alongside at the Bears.

The Lions will be lining up in a commemorative Hall of Fame guernsey this Saturday night that is inspired by the same design you wore during your time at the Bears. What are your thoughts on the ‘retro’ Bears guernsey?   

It was different and unique, and was obviously designed around the shape of Queensland.

But I don’t know what people were thinking when they used the Koala as a logo. It’s not even a bear! I don’t know what was going through Skasey’s mind at the time.

Thankfully, they’ve since switched over to the Lion, which is much more appropriate I think. 

Do you have a version of that particular guernsey from your playing days?

No. I never got one. I was hoping you could tell me where it might be…

I might speak with Andrew (Raines) about potentially get a hold of one for me for old time’s sake.

What are doing with yourself these days?

I’ve just finished working on the Chevron Gorgan Project in Perth – I’ve been doing that for a couple of years.

But right now I’m taking some time off, and enjoying a bit of time back in Queensland.

I’ll be heading along to the game this Saturday night, and might catch another game at the Gabba in a couple of weeks’ time, before heading back to Western Australia to figure out what I’ll do next.

Where do your current AFL allegiances lie?

Obviously the Lions – not just because of my history with the Bears, but also because Andrew is now playing with them and he’s a close family friend.

They’re at the wrong end of the table at the moment, but I know exactly how they feel because I’ve been through it. They’ve just got to keep improving their game and their skills.

I’ve still got a bit of interest in Collingwood – and to a lesser degree Essendon – because I spent some good times there as well.

I'll be at the game this Saturday night at the Gabba, and I’ll certainly be in the Lions' camp when they play Essendon.