Tommy Hafey-Passion and Pride personified

[tigerlee]

I can't see anyone kidding themselves here. Once when I rang Tommy he told me he'd just walked in the door from delivering a gift to RFC for them to pass onto Cogs. He does that for our B&F winners. He told me that other than shake Cogs hand in a line once he'd never met him and I couldn't help thinking then how sad that was for both Tommy and Mark that they'd never had a talk together.

Age is irrelevant when talking about the history of our club and letting the kids know what an honour it is to be wearing the yellow and black. Read the questions and answers Tommy did for PRE and you'll realise his pasison for the game and the RFC.

Despite never having met the man our players were crying at Jack Dyer's funeral. He was too ill to be around the club and some of the kids, who'd barely heard of him, said at the time that they wish they'd had the chance to learn about him while he was alive. They really didin't know anything about him or his role at our club. (That could well have changed now for all I know)

If anyone has heard Tommy take a country clinic they'll know what I mean. If he can get that much out of strangers imagine what he could do for his own.

spot on Rosy - I met the man for the first time last Friday and spent just 5 minutes with him and let me tell you this - he radiated confidence and personality and he left me feeling oh so proud about this club. Tommy made us all feel welcome and took a genuine interest in us as people - surely that alone is worth a lot to our kids? Add to that his icon status at Tigerland - surely he has a lot to offer our young kids who need to learn about us as a club and its fine role models that built the club to what it is today. Tommy is just that person.

If he is not a fine role model for our young kids - teaching them about the Tiger heritage then who the hell is? I dont care if the man is 100 - he still has value to add to our kids - can teach them what it means to be a Tiger and what it means to win and play for your team mates and club. Shame on those that think otherwise.

Bring Tommy back in a larger capacity - it can only do good for our kids!

 

[tigerlee]

I meant no disrespect Rosy.

I heard him speak at a sportsman's night years ago. I guess I just always assumed that his passion and loyalty to the Tiges meant that he was still active at Punt Rd. I know some recent coaches have wanted to look forward rather than backwards and stopped allowing access to the club to past champions - a bugbear of one Rex Hunt.

But I think it's important to remember that most of our players probably didn't support Richmond as kids, and many are too young to have seen us a powerhouse. They need to understand where our passion comes from (literally us - lifelong supporters) they need to understand what a privilege it is to wear that jumper. Get back a bit of that siege mentality that Swooper was able to instil in the boys.

good post KnighersRevenge. I think that most kids dont grow up supporting the club they end up playing for - this just means that they need to learn what it means to play for that new club and who better than those older players, including Hafey, KB and Rex to teach them. We need our kids to understand what it took for us to be premiers in the old days - bleeding for the jumper and helping our team mates. Who better to teach them than those that have done it in the past.

 

[Growl]

good post KnighersRevenge. I think that most kids dont grow up supporting the club they end up playing for - this just means that they need to learn what it means to play for that new club and who better than those older players, including Hafey, KB and Rex to teach them. We need our kids to understand what it took for us to be premiers in the old days - bleeding for the jumper and helping our team mates. Who better to teach them than those that have done it in the past.

And while you're at it, get Tommy to tell you why he left the club!

He may even be able to tell you why Hughes, Bentley and Dyer left . . .

 

[Six Pack]

Look, tommy's a legend of our club and i admire him as much as anyone here for his contributions. But his influence now is limited. He still does a great job with his coterie stuff and I am sure he could help a bit more as a mentor, but he is stuck a bit in the past with his ideas about footy. I have heard him speak and also he's run clinics at a club where i played and he was ok, but the game has gone past him a bit. I dont want to devalue him and i certainly think we could do with some extra help, its just that i think he'd be ok in small doses and that his influence is being a bit overrated by some here. Its a romantic, rather than a practical notion.

 

[KnightersRevenge]

Look, tommy's a legend of our club and i admire him as much as anyone here for his contributions. But his influence now is limited. He still does a great job with his coterie stuff and I am sure he could help a bit more as a mentor, but he is stuck a bit in the past with his ideas about footy. I have heard him speak and also he's run clinics at a club where i played and he was ok, but the game has gone past him a bit. I dont want to devalue him and i certainly think we could do with some extra help, its just that i think he'd be ok in small doses and that his influence is being a bit overrated by some here. Its a romantic, rather than a practical notion.

I don't think we're suggesting he be in the coaches box Sixer, nor should have any influence in the footy department. It's about passion, fire, playing for one another. It's about culture. That is something that Tommy can definitely do, and the fact that so many of young players report that they have never met him, or other inspirational people who had a part in the Richmond that we remember, that we expect to see again one day, I think detracts from our club.

 

[tigerlee]

I don't think we're suggesting he be in the coaches box Sixer, nor should have any influence in the footy department. It's about passion, fire, playing for one another. It's about culture. That is something that Tommy can definitely do, and the fact that so many of young players report that they have never met him, or other inspirational people who had a part in the Richmond that we remember, that we expect to see again one day, I think detracts from our club.

very well said KnightersRevenge - that is exactly what we need to have him involved in - teaching the kids what it means to be a Tiger - not how to play the game as such. We need tradition and culture taught to these kids and that is where these older Tigers come step up.

And while you're at it, get Tommy to tell you why he left the club!

He may even be able to tell you why Hughes, Bentley and Dyer left . . .

does it matter now? If he has anything to offer our kids then we should take it. Let the past stay in the past and let our legends return to the club to help the kids. How will they grow without role models and people they can look up to and aspire to be like - they know what it means to win.

 

[Six Pack]

Fair enough,knighter.