Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson remembers AFL legend Tom Hafey

LEGENDARY Richmond coach Tommy Hafey passed away on Monday night after a brave battle with cancer. He was 82.

LEGENDARY Richmond coach Tommy Hafey passed away on Monday night after a brave battle with cancer. He was 82.

Hafey had a brain tumour removed in early March and was recently hospitalised again after more cancer cells were discovered.

The Tigers had planned to have Hafey do a lap of honour at the MCG on Saturday, surrounded by his wife Maureen and their grandchildren.

Several of Hafey’s former players — who share an incredible bond with him — have visited their former coach in hospital in recent days.

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Both Kevin Bartlett and Kevin Sheedy, who were among the many former Tiger players who considered Hafey a father-figure, have been too distraught to talk about him in recent weeks.

Hafey coached the Tigers in their golden era, winning premierships in 1967, 1969, 1973-74.

He was not so much considered a tactical coach, but an inspirational one.

He made the Tigers the fittest team in the competition and his former players would say they played for Hafey more than they did the jumper.

When he left the Tigers, there was a state of shock at Punt Rd.

He departed in 1976 after losing the support of powerbroker Graham Richmond. Hafey did not get sacked, but reckoned that if he didn’t have the backing of Richmond, how could he remain as coach.

He landed at Collingwood in 1977, which was considered an enormous coup by the Magpies.

He was the first non-Collingwood person to coach the club and took it from the wooden spoon in 1976 to the Grand Final in 1977.

He coached the Tigers from 1966-76, Collingwood from 1977-82 where he was sacked mid-season, then coached Geelong from 1983-85 before being lured to Sydney, where he coached the Swans from 1986-88.

At Geelong, he indulged eccentric full-forward Mark Jackson, and the two of them were close friends.

His coaching record was an impressive one: 521 games for 336 wins, 181 losses and four draws, one of which was the famous drawn Grand Final in 1977.

He was honoured at the Tigers by being named as their coach of the century.