Vale Dale Tapping: Essendon AFL assistant coach dies of cancer at age 59

Essendon VFL and assistant coach Dale Tapping is being remembered as an outstanding coach at all levels of football after his death from cancer at age 59.

Dale Tapping on the job during Essendon’s match against GWS at Marvel Stadium in 2023. Pic: Michael Klein

Essendon assistant Dale Tapping is being remembered as an outstanding coach at four levels of football after his death from cancer at age 59

Tapping died in hospital this morning, two years after being diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

The 2016 VFL coach of the year’s health had deteriorated quickly since Christmas and he was placed in intensive care last week.

Last October, Tapping had been appointed Essendon’s VFL coach after serving as the AFL team’s forwards coach for three seasons.

He had previously overseen Brisbane’s midfield for five years as a trusted offsider to Chris Fagan.

Essendon president David Barham said this morning Tapping was a “man of impeccable character’’ and “universally loved and respected by those who were lucky enough to have crossed paths with him over his more than 25 years in the AFL industry’’.

“He has left a lasting impact on the Essendon Football Club and across the broader football community and will be remembered as a selfless individual whose passion and care for people and the game was evident in everything he did,’’ Barham said.

Dale Tapping joined the Dons after the 2021 AFL season. Pic: Michael Klein

Essendon coach Brad Scott said: “Dale was an outstanding coach, but his true legacy lies in the profound impact he had on players and staff personally. His dedication to their growth – both on and off the field – along with his genuine love for seeing people succeed, were qualities admired by all.

“It was a privilege to have coached with him, and his legacy at the club will endure through the players and staff he mentored throughout his career. Dale will be deeply missed by the AFL industry and everyone at the Bombers. Our thoughts are with his wife Kellie, and children Summer and Mason, who have shown incredible strength throughout this difficult time.”

The Bombers postponed their family day, which was scheduled for this afternoon, out of respect for the Tappings.

Tapping discussed his illness with the Herald Sun in April, 2023.

“It was the 19th of January at 5pm. I went to the doctor for a minor thing. But he couldn’t quite fix it,’’ he told columnist Mick McGuane and reporter Glenn McFarlane.

“He gave me some drops and asked me to come back and see him on Wednesday. He was the club doctor (Brendan de Morton). He said: ‘How else are you going?’ I’d been a bit sore in the rib cartilage since the end of last season. I’d done a rib cartilage when playing footy … it was similar pain, but this one lingered a bit. He said to me: ‘You’ve got your day off tomorrow, go and get an X-ray’. I didn’t think too much about it. I was in the gym at 7am (the day after the X-ray), and Morts rang me. He said: “Today, I want you to go back at 3.30pm, I’ve organised a CAT scan for you, to have another look’.

“I didn’t think anything of it. I mentioned to Scotty (Essendon coach Brad Scott) that I had to take off a bit earlier. It was a moment in time when I was in the scan when it washed over me a little. I thought ‘This is a bit different’. Then I moved onto another thought. I had to go and see Morts at 5pm. I walked in there and it was pretty confronting. He said to me straight up, ‘Well, I haven’t got good news for you mate’. He mentioned myeloma (a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow). I had no idea what it was, but I knew it wasn’t good.’’

Dale Tapping as coach of the Sandringham Dragons.

Tapping was a prominent player for Prahran in the old VFA, playing more than 100 matches, including in the 1987 Division 2 premiership.

After a brief run with Melbourne’s reserves in 1988, he returned to Prahran and finished up at the end of 1992.

Tapping then played with Old Xaverians in the Victorian amateurs, figuring in the 1995 Barry Richardson-coached flag.

Turning to coaching, he landed the senior job at Old Brighton in 1997 and kicked off with a premiership.

It was the start of a journey that he pursued with great dedication and passion.

Tapping also coached Old Scotch in the VAFA, had assistant’s roles at Williamstown in the VFL and the Western Jets in the TAC Cup and took over at the Sandringham Dragons in 2009. They won the premiership in 2011, after which he joined Collingwood’s coaching department.

He steered the VFL Magpies to the finals every season from 2013-16, gaining coaching-of-the-year honours in 2016. He joined Brisbane the following year.

Dale Tapping was VFL coach of the year in 2016.

Steve Barnes, who was involved with Tapping at Old Brighton and remained a close friend, said Tapping excelled at whatever level he coached: local football in the amateurs, in the Under 18 competition, in the VFL and as an AFL assistant.

He said he saw the game “clearly and simply’’.

“His temperament was the thing that stood out to me. It was just exceptional,’’ former Waverley VFA coach Barnes said.

“His knowledge and his communication skills were the same. Some of us as coaches can get angry and lose the plot – guilty, your honour, I’ve done all that – but Dale kept his cool.

“We just clicked when we started at Old Brighton together. But Dale clicked with everybody he worked with.’’

He said Tapping was thrilled to be a full-time coach in the AFL system and never took his position for granted.

Barnes said his friend of almost three decades had met his illness with courage and quiet dignity.

“Always positive,’’ he said. “He fought as hard as anyone has.’’

Lions coach Fagan said he met Tapping at a Leading Teams leadership seminar in 2016 and immediately recognised his enthusiasm and love for coaching and the AFL.

A few months later, Fagan was appointed coach of the Lions and thought they could do with Tapping.

“I knew the job was going to be tough and that I would need resilient and positive people around to help get the team back on track,’’ he said.

“Dale was exactly the type of person and coach that we needed so I gave him a call and he and his family agreed to come. He was just as I thought he would be during his five years of service, and he influenced our progress significantly.’’

Fana described his former assistant as a “fantastic football person, a super coach, a great dad to Summer and Mason and husband to Kel.”

Dale Tapping’s wife, Kellie, and children Summer and Mason survive him.