Legendary SA football administrator Wally Miller dies

One of South Australia’s greatest football administrators, Norwood legend Wally Miller, has died, aged 88.

Norwood legend and South Australian Football Hall of Famer Wally Miller OAM has died after a long battle with illness, aged 88.

A doyen of administrators, Miller’s name is synonymous with the Redlegs and SA football.

Awarded life membership of the AFL five years ago for his services to football, Miller played 64 league games for Norwood from 1958-61 before being badly injured and then being diagnosed with polio, which ended his playing career at age 24 and eventually confined him to a wheelchair.

Miller then embarked on an extraordinary administration career.

Starting as a promotions officer for the Redlegs in 1968, he would serve in many key off-field roles for the club, including secretary manager/football director from 1970-92 and on Norwood’s match committee from 1974-96.

He oversaw Redlegs premierships in 1975 - when the club snapped a 25-year flag drought - 1978, 1982 and 1984.

Wally Miller (middle) with fellow Norwood greats, from left, Garry McIntosh, Michael Aish and Michael Taylor, along with John Woodrow (grandson of Walter Scott), after they were awarded legend status at Norwood in 2018. Picture: Bryan Charlton

As part of his roles with Norwood, Miller was on several SANFL committees, including being a league delegate and serving on permit rules and future direction of football committees.

While he was red and blue blooded, Miller was a director of the Adelaide Football Club from 1997-2002.

He was made a life member of the Redlegs in 1975 and the SANFL in 1986 and in 2004 was inducted into the SA Football Hall of Fame.

MIller was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal in 1986 for services to football and was a key player in the concept and development of modified rules in the late 1960s.

He also was a consultant for disabled access to Football Park and suburban ovals in 1995.

Few people have shaped the Norwood Football Club more than Miller, who has gates at the club’s The Parade ground named in his honour.

He was awarded official “legend’’ status at Norwood in 2018.

Redlegs 1975 premiership hero Ross Dillon described Miller as “the most significant and influential person over the past 60 years at the Norwood Football Club’’.

Wally Miller at the opening of the Wally Miller Gates at Norwood Oval in 1994. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Certainly all of us at Norwood love Wally - he is our champion,’’ Dillon said.

Norwood chief executive James Fantasia said Miller was “recognised as one of the most astute administrators the game has ever produced’’.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have had Wally as my first mentor in the field of football administration,’’ Fantasia said.

“He had a reverence that was revered by players and administrators from all walks of life and was a wonderful example of giving of one’s self to a higher cause.’’

Redlegs great Michael Aish, a dual Norwood premiership player and the 1981 Magarey Medallist, described Miller as a great administrator and person who “was just honest and would hit you straight between the eyes by calling things the way they were’’.

“He was such a beautiful man who was loved by everyone,’’ Aish said.

Originally published as Legendary SA football administrator Wally Miller dies