-
IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Tommy Hafey
- Thread starter Six Shirts and a Suit
- Start date
Dusty here too...
Just an outstanding human being, Tommy Hafey.
Had the privilege of meeting him a couple of times at Richmond functions and outside the G pregame. Always ready for a quick word or a chat if time allowed. Had that unique ability to make you feel more important than anyone else for that conversation at least.
Other thing I wanted to say was that this bloke truly crossed the club divide and is universally loved by footy people across the AFL, and especially followers of all the VFL clubs. Hard pressed to think of another person revered in the same way (Maybe Teddy? Maybe Richo in 20 years?)
Just an outstanding human being, Tommy Hafey.
Had the privilege of meeting him a couple of times at Richmond functions and outside the G pregame. Always ready for a quick word or a chat if time allowed. Had that unique ability to make you feel more important than anyone else for that conversation at least.
Other thing I wanted to say was that this bloke truly crossed the club divide and is universally loved by footy people across the AFL, and especially followers of all the VFL clubs. Hard pressed to think of another person revered in the same way (Maybe Teddy? Maybe Richo in 20 years?)
Some real nice stories hear about the Great man and so many lucky to have known or met him. I also met him on a few occasions and his Daughter Jo was a P.E teacher at my school so he would come on occasion to take her out to lunch so it was a great treat to see him at our school and a passing few words . They will be treasured memories now.
A
acatman
Guest
.....another great story from a footballer in WA.
Just to back both your comments up here....I had cancer scare from a bone growth in my quad area as a 16yo kid about 6 weeks away from our finals and needed to go under the knife which I was refusing because I wanted to play finals. My mum went out of her way to contact Tommy Hafey, she didn't know him personally but admired him as she had a soft spot for Richmond. A week later I get a call from this football great who gave me 20mins of his time to talk about what I would need to do to build my strength up after the op and then proceeded to talk about how fit i would need to get if I wanted to reach the top level in preparing my body & mind. I never made it as I wasn't near good enough but I never have forgotten that conversation, more because he gave me the time of day than the advice he offered. He might not have been from WA but he was sure known here. Even by mum who could probably name only 10 footballers at best.
Just to back both your comments up here....I had cancer scare from a bone growth in my quad area as a 16yo kid about 6 weeks away from our finals and needed to go under the knife which I was refusing because I wanted to play finals. My mum went out of her way to contact Tommy Hafey, she didn't know him personally but admired him as she had a soft spot for Richmond. A week later I get a call from this football great who gave me 20mins of his time to talk about what I would need to do to build my strength up after the op and then proceeded to talk about how fit i would need to get if I wanted to reach the top level in preparing my body & mind. I never made it as I wasn't near good enough but I never have forgotten that conversation, more because he gave me the time of day than the advice he offered. He might not have been from WA but he was sure known here. Even by mum who could probably name only 10 footballers at best.
Funeral to be held in the MCC dining room with an MCG open to the public and the service shown on the big screens. Has anything like that ever occurred before I can't recall.
There's something about Francis Bourke that makes him a true disciple of Tommy... Goosebumps when he speaks.
Two interesting player moves that never happened:
* Being so close to Tommy, KB asked him for a move to the Pies at the end of 1979.
* Tommy asked Sam Newman to move to Richmond in 1977.
Imagine if these did happen, especially on how KB had a great season in 1980 and was instrumental in us winning the flag.
* Being so close to Tommy, KB asked him for a move to the Pies at the end of 1979.
* Tommy asked Sam Newman to move to Richmond in 1977.
Imagine if these did happen, especially on how KB had a great season in 1980 and was instrumental in us winning the flag.
Hafey always said ... KB kicked 7 in the GF and we won by 81 points.
Take those 7 goals off us and add it to them ... can you imagine losing a GF to the scum by three points?
Take those 7 goals off us and add it to them ... can you imagine losing a GF to the scum by three points?
TigerForce said:
Perhaps he was trying to sabotage us because Tommy was at Collingwood in 1977 ;D
I think Sam (on Footy Show last night) meant 'for 1977' when Tommy didn't know he would be sacked at the end of 1976.Sintiger said:
smasha said:
All hypothetical, but if it wasn't for Tommy, we would've ended up with just 5 flags up until 1980. He saved the club from becoming another failure as Melbourne has been since the mid-60s and boosted our future into the 70s. If it wasn't for the impatient *smile*s at the club who just loved to sack, we could've won more flags after 1976 with Tommy as coach. Where he took Collingwood from 1977 to 1981 proves that. Just like Sheeds has done with the Bummers for 20+ years.
TigerForce said:
Unfortunately correct. Without the Hafey/Jewell years, we'd be a pretty sad old state of affairs I'm afraid.