Robert Harvey (footballer)

Harvey was recruited from St Kilda's then VCFL zone, from Seaford and played his first senior game for St Kilda on 6 August 1988 against Footscray at the Western Oval in round 19 of the 1988 VFL season.

Harvey played in the 1991 St Kilda team that qualified for the finals series for the first time since 1973.

He was a vital player in St Kilda team that qualified for that year's final series and had the club's first finals' win since 1973. He won St Kilda's 1992 award for the best and fairest player (now called the Trevor Barker Award) and was selected in the Australian Team for the first time.

In 1994 he played his 100th premiership season match against North Melbourne in round 2. He also won his second St Kilda best and fairest award and was selected in the All-Australian Team for a second time.

In 1995 he was again selected in the All-Australian Team for a third selection.

Harvey played in St Kilda’s 1996 Ansett Australia Cup winning side, the club's first pre-season cup win.[5]

He was also selected for the fourth time in the All-Australian Team.

Harvey played in 22 of 22 matches in the 1997 AFL Premiership Season home and away rounds in which St Kilda Football Club qualified in first position for the 1997 AFL Finals Series, winning the club’s second Minor Premiership and first McClelland Trophy.[6]

St Kilda qualified for the 1997 AFL Grand Final after qualifying and preliminary finals wins. He played in the 1997 AFL Grand Final in which St Kilda were defeated by 31 points.

Harvey gained 756 disposals in 1997 which, at the time, was the highest single-season tally on record – an average of 30 possessions per game. He was recognised for his excellent season with numerous awards. He again won St Kilda's best and fairest award and was also selected again in the 1997 All-Australian Team – his fifth All-Australian award. He also won the 1997 AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player Award (now the Leigh Matthews Trophy) and the league's highest individual award the Brownlow Medal. Chris Grant gained the most votes however, he was ineligible to win the award due to a one-match suspension for striking Hawthorn's Nick Holland.

Harvey played in the St Kilda Football Club side that again qualified for the 1998 Final Series. He played his 200th premiership season match against West Coast in round 21 at Waverley Park. St Kilda was eliminated from the 1998 Finals Series after two consecutive Final Series losses.

Harvey gained 501 kicks in 1998 which, at the time, was the highest single-season tally on record. He again won the league's highest individual award the Brownlow Medal for the second consecutive season. As of 2020, Harvey is the last man to win two consecutive Brownlow Medals.[7]

He won the Trevor Barker Award for St Kilda's best and fairest player for a consecutive year – his fourth best and fairest award. He was also again selected in the year's All-Australian Team, his sixth All-Australian award.

Harvey was selected in the 1999 All-Australian Team – the 6th consecutive year he received an All-Australian selection and his 7th career All-Australian Award.

Harvey was Captain of the St Kilda Football Club during the 2001 and 2002 AFL Premiership Seasons. He was selected in the 2003 All-Australian Team his eighth All-Australian award. He was named in St Kilda's Team of the Century (1900–1999) in 2003.

Harvey played in St Kilda’s 2004 Wizard Home Loans Cup final winning side – the club's second pre-season cup win. He was judged best player on the ground in the final and awarded the Michael Tuck Medal.[8][9]

St Kilda won a then club record 10 consecutive matches in the first 10 rounds of the 2004 AFL season. The club went on to qualify for the finals inside the top four.

After a qualifying final loss and a semi-final win, Harvey played his 300th game and became the fourth player to play 300 games for St Kilda, in a preliminary final against Port Adelaide. St Kilda were eliminated from the finals series after a six-point loss.

In round 7 against Geelong, in front of a near full house at Docklands Stadium, Harvey broke the all-time games record for St Kilda (until then held by Nathan Burke) when he played in his 324th premiership season match. To celebrate the Saints wore special guernseys with Harvey's silhouetted image in the centre.

Harvey reached his 350th game against West Coast at Subiaco Oval in round 12 when the Saints defeated the reigning premiers by 23 points.

Harvey played in St Kilda’s 2008 NAB Cup final winning side – the club's third pre-season cup win.[10][11]

In 2008 Harvey became the first player to ever play in 21 consecutive VFL/AFL seasons (however has since been overtaken by Dustin Fletcher's 23). At 37 years of age he played in 24 of St Kilda's 25 premiership season matches – including three finals, averaging 21 disposals per game. He had 31 disposals in another best on ground performance in St Kilda's round 13 win against Fremantle.

St Kilda qualified for the 2008 finals series inside the top four for the third time in five years. After a qualifying final loss and a semi-final win, Harvey lined up for St Kilda in what turned out to be his final game in the AFL on 20 September 2008 in a preliminary final against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which Hawthorn won by 54 points, 18.10 (118) to 9.10 (64). Harvey was chaired off the ground by teammates Lenny Hayes and Max Hudghton to a respectful ovation, while players and officials from both sides formed a guard of honor. After the game a tribute to his long career was played on the big screen.

Harvey ended his career having played 383 games at the top level over 21 seasons, from the age of 16 until he was 37, the second longest senior career by seasons in VFL/AFL history. The only players (at the time) to have played over 400 games in the VFL/AFL, Michael Tuck and Kevin Bartlett, both expressed their disappointment at what they both thought was a premature retirement and believed Harvey could have followed in their footsteps and reached the 400 game milestone.[12]

Harvey received 215 Brownlow Medal votes during his career, the second most of any player in league history. He was also the only player in league history to have received Brownlow Medal votes in more than 100 games.[13]

He holds the record for most games played without winning a premiership but did participate in 17 finals series matches, including one grand final.

Harvey had a prolific State of Origin career. First playing for Victoria in 1991, against South Australia, scoring 2 goals. The following year he was named in the best players against Western Australia and won the E. J. Whitten Medal against South Australia, scoring 1 goal in the match.[14][15] In 1993 he participated in the State of Origin Carnival, performing on the big stage in the Grand Final, again winning the E. J. Whitten Medal.[16] He was selected in 1995 against South Australia. In 1996 he won the E. J. Whitten Medal for a record third time, against The Allies, he scored 1 goal.[16] Harvey last played for Victoria in 1997, against South Australia, and was named in the best players.[17] Today Robert Harvey is still a big supporter of the Victorian State of Origin team.[18]