Lions.com.au catches up with former full-forward Richard Osborne who played 187 games and kicked 411 goals for Fitzroy between 1982-92.

What are you up to these days?

I work in real estate for CB Richard Ellis. The head office is located in Collins Street in the city, but I work in the area of project marketing so operate all over Melbourne.

We basically sell apartments off the plan to developers.

You represented the Lions in the recent Legends Game during the 2011 NAB Cup. How did it feel running out onto Etihad Stadium back in Lions colours?

It’s funny really. I ended up playing for a few different clubs, but my heart was always with Fitzroy after spending 11 years there. I guess I’d spent my entire adult life at Fitzroy up until that stage.

Just running out onto the field again with a few of the boys I used to play with and having a Lions jumper on was fantastic. It actually helped me to place a call to the Club and offer some Melbourne-based help. If I can help a current player in any way, I’d be happy to.

I really felt connected that night. It was great to just have a Lions jumper back on and run around with a few of the boys I played with.

The Legends Game also proved that you’ve still got that ability to boot bags of goals…

I hadn’t kicked a footy in anger for 13 years and I’d certainly lost more than a yard on my distance.

It’s funny, you go out there and look at the 50 metre line and think “I used to do that easily”. But now I would even contemplate trying it.

How did your body hold up after the match?

I was a little bit sore.

But I actually went over to Vietnam during the Easter break and played in the charity football game over there to try and raise funds for kids. The fundraiser was to help teach a lot of the Vietnamese kids how to swim. 

I trained for five weeks to prepare for that game. I’m actually down to 82kg at the moment which is probably the lightest I’ve been since I was about 20.

I’m not in great nick with regards to playing a full game of AFL, but I still play basketball a couple nights a week so I’m still pretty healthy for a bloke whose 47 years of age and played AFL for 17 years.

What are your most treasured memories from your playing days with Fitzroy?

I still can’t get it out of my head when Micky Conlan kicked that goal in the 1986 Elimination Final against the Bombers out at Waverley.

Then the following week we beat the Swans by five points from memory. I remember watching Matty Rendell - who was off the ground at the end of the game - sprint onto the field after the siren.

The following week we went back to Waverley and played Hawthorn. Bernie Quinlan kicked a few goals early and I remember thinking “here we go again, we’re going to make the Grand Final!” We unfortunately didn't, but 1986 was still just an amazing year.

Do you still catch up with many of your former team-mates?

It’s hard because I’ve got three kids now and you find yourself moving around in different circles.

Guys are spread around a bit and busy with their own things. Roosy’s up in Sydney now with his kids and Perty is CEO at Collingwood. You really don’t see each other that much anymore.

The last serious reunion we had was the big one in Melbourne a few years ago. There were a lot of people there that I hadn’t seen in a number of years, so it was good to reconnect with your past.

The Club was a huge part of my life from age 16 to 28.

Have any of your kids followed in their Dad’s footsteps by playing AFL?

My son Mitch played three years with South Melbourne Districts. He was a good little footballer, but around the time when Australia was doing well in the soccer World Cup - not the recent one, the one before - he took up soccer and has stuck with it ever since.

He’s a good little soccer player. He’ll follow the round ball game and achieve whatever he achieves.

The Brisbane Lions are currently in the process of updating their database of past players and coaches. If you played a senior match with Fitzroy, the Bears or the Brisbane Lions (or know someone that has) and haven’t remained in contact with the Club, please email your phone and address details to melbourne@lions.com.au so that we can keep you in touch with any future events with past players