The life and times of Collingwood legend Lou Richards
LOU Richards was always destined to be a Magpie and finished a Collingwood legend, then later became a larger-than-life and much-loved media personality.
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LOU Richards was always destined to be a Magpie and finished a Collingwood legend after 250 games and a premiership.
He later had a long and successful media career and was a larger-than-life and much-loved character.
Here are some of the highlights of Lou Richards’ life.
LEWIS THOMAS CHARLES RICHARDS
Born: March 15, 1923
Dies: May 8, 2017
Collingwood: 1941-55, 250 games, 423 goals
Captain: 1952-55
Premiership captain: 1953
Leading goalkicker: 1944, ‘48, ‘50
Victorian representative: three games
Collingwood Hall of Fame
AFL Hall of Fame
March 15, 1923: Born Lewis Thomas Charles Richards.
1941: Makes Collingwood debut in Round 6 v Carlton, following in the footsteps of grandfather Charlie Pannam and uncles Charles and Alby Pannam.
1944: Leads Collingwood’s goalkicking for the first time.
1947: Represents Victoria for the first time.
1948: Collingwood leading goalkicker and Victorian representative. Marries Edna Lillian Bowie.
1950: Collingwood leading goalkicker.
1952: Appointed Collingwood captain, leads Magpies to a losing Grand Final v Geelong.
1953: Leads Collingwood to a drought-breaking premiership, reversing the previous year’s result v Geelong. The flag is the Pies’ first in 17 years.
1955: Retires after 250 games.
1956: Replaces great friend Jack Dyer as resident tipster at The Sun. His Kiss of Death column becomes legendary due to the outrageous dares he took on if his tips failed. “Louie the Lip” once had to cut Ted Whitten’s lawn with nail scissors, while he rowed along the Barwon River in a bathtub with Billy Goggin another time.
1959: Joins Channel 7 and forms part of the original World of Sport panel with Jack Dyer and Ron Casey. Also stars with Dyer and Bob Davis on Seven’s League Teams on Thursday nights. Over 26 years with the station, he not only features prominently on two of football’s most popular shows, but provides match-day commentary on games and is a regular on radio.
1972: Appointed Court Jester to King of Moomba John Farnham. Becomes King of Moomba himself in 1981.
1987: Switches to Channel 9 after Channel 7 loses the football rights for a year. He becomes a regular on both The Footy Show and The Sunday Footy Show, where `Lou’s Handball’ was a highlight.
1996: Inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.
2004: Named captain of the Greek Team of the Century.
2008: Wife Edna dies, aged 87, following a three-year battle with dementia.
2009: In his own poor health, Richards ends his 67-year involvement with football. Stops hosting “Lou’s Handball” and remains mostly out of the public eye.
2014: Immortalised with a bronze statue at the club’s headquarters.
2017: Dies, aged 94, just two days after Collingwood celebrates its 125th anniversary.
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