Rob Wiley interview

[Ossie]

I listened to an interesting interview with Rob Wiley on the "This is your sporting life series", who we discussed as a fave of many of us in another thread a while ago. Rob talks about his amazing career, both in Perth and with us, and how he had an ordinary first year at Tigerland in 1979. He said that not working as a teacher in that year was a mistake, as training didn't start until 5pm and he was just sitting around most days. He then did his hammy and found out that GR was trying to trade him to North Melbourne, he even met them for lunch to discuss the move.

Rob also said that he had heard that GR was trying to trade Geoff Raines and Flea Weightman during the 1979 season. Ironically, he noted that the top 3 in the B&F in 1980 were Rainsey, Rob and Flea! Lucky GR didn't pull off those trades!

This is Your Journey

This is Your Journey for Tobin Brother Funerals - celebrating lives. Hosted by Sam Edmund. Airing on 1116 SEN, profiling Australia's sporting greats on and off the field.

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[Tigers of Old]

Cheers Ossie.
I loved Wiley as a footballer. I still have his autograph that I got from him as a kid.
Reckon he was a bit underrated because he was surrounded by so many star players but truth of the matter is he was a star in his own right.
Incredibly talented, dual sided with skill to burn. Loved watching him play.

 

[Ossie]

Cheers Ossie.
I loved Wiley as a footballer. I still have his autograph that I got from him as a kid.
Reckon he was a bit underrated because he was surrounded by so many star players but truth of the matter is he was a star in his own right.
Incredibly talented, dual sided with skill to burn. Loved watching him play.

No worries at all Oldie. The interview will bring back some fond memories. Rob was a super player, loved watching him play like you did. Great pace and skills and could kick a goal from anywhere, his 55 metre left foot goal in the 1980 GF is a thing of beauty. He won an incredible 8 B&F's for Perth in the WAFL. A genuine champion.

 

[MB78]

I can only remember when he played for the Eagles. My older brother said he was a champion then so I used to keep an eye on him.

 

[zippadeee]

My memory of Robert Wiley is in front of a full house against Essendon. sitting on the top deck of the Ponsfold stand and seeing the post on the punt road end bouncing all over the place and wondering what happened (No big screens back then)
And then realising the stretcher was coming out because Rob Wiley had crashed into it.

 

[Ossie]

I can only remember when he played for the Eagles. My older brother said he was a champion then so I used to keep an eye on him.

Your brother is a fine judge MB78! As a kid, I used to read about all of the interstate players we were chasing, it was very exciting to follow. Some like Rob and Maurice came over to us, some like Michael Aish kept us crossing our fingers!

 

[Ossie]

My memory of Robert Wiley is in front of a full house against Essendon. sitting on the top deck of the Ponsfold stand and seeing the post on the punt road end bouncing all over the place and wondering what happened (No big screens back then)
And then realising the stretcher was coming out because Rob Wiley had crashed into it.

I remember that Zips, gee it would have hurt!

 

[tigerman]

I listened to an interesting interview with Rob Wiley on the "This is your sporting life series", who we discussed as a fave of many of us in another thread a while ago. Rob talks about his amazing career, both in Perth and with us, and how he had an ordinary first year at Tigerland in 1979. He said that not working as a teacher in that year was a mistake, as training didn't start until 5pm and he was just sitting around most days. He then did his hammy and found out that GR was trying to trade him to North Melbourne, he even met them for lunch to discuss the move.

Rob also said that he had heard that GR was trying to trade Geoff Raines and Flea Weightman during the 1979 season. Ironically, he noted that the top 3 in the B&F in 1980 were Rainsey, Rob and Flea! Lucky GR didn't pull off those trades!

This is Your Journey

This is Your Journey for Tobin Brother Funerals - celebrating lives. Hosted by Sam Edmund. Airing on 1116 SEN, profiling Australia's sporting greats on and off the field.

webplayer.whooshkaa.com

A gun player in the VFL and WAFL, an eight time WAFL best and fairest for his club Perth.
It's a joke that someone like Brad Hardie is inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame ahead of him.

 

[leon]

I remember him well too for all the positives given above, such a skilful running machine who was hard and tough for a small/medium sized player. What I also noticed was he was so fast to get a contested ball on his boot to clear the packs - a trait that all the great modern mids must have these days - see the likes of Sam Mitchell, Cotchin, Tom Mitchell.

OMG, GR - what a maniac! Was he our equivalent of Eddie McChin back in that era. Did some great things early ... then a lot of harm towards the end of his career at RFC.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Immensely skilful player and one of my favourites. Goal from the pocket to put us in front in the Francis Bourke blood match is etched in the memory, followed up with the sealer soon after.

 

[tigertim]

I listened to an interesting interview with Rob Wiley on the "This is your sporting life series", who we discussed as a fave of many of us in another thread a while ago. Rob talks about his amazing career, both in Perth and with us, and how he had an ordinary first year at Tigerland in 1979. He said that not working as a teacher in that year was a mistake, as training didn't start until 5pm and he was just sitting around most days. He then did his hammy and found out that GR was trying to trade him to North Melbourne, he even met them for lunch to discuss the move.

Rob also said that he had heard that GR was trying to trade Geoff Raines and Flea Weightman during the 1979 season. Ironically, he noted that the top 3 in the B&F in 1980 were Rainsey, Rob and Flea! Lucky GR didn't pull off those trades!

This is Your Journey

This is Your Journey for Tobin Brother Funerals - celebrating lives. Hosted by Sam Edmund. Airing on 1116 SEN, profiling Australia's sporting greats on and off the field.

webplayer.whooshkaa.com

GR seems to have been trying to cripple the club before ‘83.

 

[jb03]

Wiley was an absolute gun.

 

[Tigers of Old]

26 possessions & 3 goals in the 1980 GF..
See that gets missed when lined up against KB's 7 goals but that is a tremendous match in anyone's language.

 

[AngryAnt]

Remember Wiley kicking six or seven against the Bombers on a glorious afternoon in 1981

 

[Tigers of Old]

Here's the signature in my autograph book. Right next to another familiar Tiger..

 

[Ossie]

GR seems to have been trying to cripple the club before ‘83.

Agree Tim. I am still conflicted on GR's legacy. One one hand, 5 Premierships in a golden era. On the other, some of his decisions and treatment of players and the Collingwood recruiting war set us back 35 years.

 

[Ossie]

Here's the signature in my autograph book. Right next to another familiar Tiger..

View attachment 10054

That's awesome Oldie. Wow, having those signatures on Richmond contracts was also a very good thing!

 

[Ossie]

Remember Wiley kicking six or seven against the Bombers on a glorious afternoon in 1981

A fabulous game Antman. It was Round 3, 1982. We kicked 10 last quarter goals to the Punt Road End, Rob finished the match with a lazy 7 straight!

 

[Tigers of Old]

That's awesome Oldie. Wow, having those signatures on Richmond contracts was also a very good thing!

Cheers Ossie. Too true. I’m pretty happy that as a young kid I had the wisdom to afford each of these champions a full page Of the book to themselves.

 

[Ossie]

Cheers Ossie. Too true. I’m pretty happy that as a young kid I had the wisdom to afford each of these champions a full page Of the book to themselves.

Haha, very wise indeed! I remember Disco and the Ghost having very easy to read signatures. Most times, I would get the sigs on the pages of the footy record, which were much smaller than they are now!