AFL shattered by death of Tiger Shane Tuck, son of Hawthorn great Michael Tuck

Reigning premiers Richmond will remember former Tiger Shane Tuck during their clash with the Giants in Sydney on Friday night after he died on Monday.

Shane Tuck at Richmond’s Punt Rd Oval headquarters. Picture: Michael Klein

In the hours after former Richmond footballer Shane Tuck died on Monday, former teammates and the broader fan base swapped tales of the Tiger’s toughness and kindness.

Richmond champion Jack Riewoldt shared stories with desolate fans who called into talkback radio by the dozens to pay tribute to the Tiger, a son of Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck.

The 38-year-old, who is survived by his wife, Kat, and children Will and Ava, played 173 games for Richmond between 2004 and 2013 and was revered for his courage.

Tuck belonged to one of football’s most famous families. His father played in seven premierships for Hawthorn, four of them as captain. Michael Tuck also held the VFL/AFL games record for decades with 426 until overtaken by Kangaroo Brent Harvey.

His younger brother, Travis Tuck, was a Hawk. Gary Ablett Jr, his cousin, is among the best footballers to play the game.

Shane Tuck and wife Kat

“He was obviously the son of a very famous footballer but you could see he was brought up to be respectful,” Riewoldt said.

“He would always have the time to talk to people. He was a people’s person.”

Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett was shattered by Tuck’s death and said he was thinking of the former Tiger’s family.

“We had some lovely conversations in the past as I was an admirer of the way he played with such commitment,” Bartlett said.

“When my daughter worked at Richmond, she would always say he was the nicest person.”

Initially, the game did not come as naturally to Tuck as it did to his relatives. Having played junior football in Dandenong, he was given a chance with Hawthorn in 2000 but was not able to seize it in the three years he spent playing in the reserves.

He moved to South Australia in 2003 and spent a year with West Adelaide in the SANFL to prove himself as a hard-working midfielder, which captured the attention of recruiters at Richmond.

The decade Tuck spent at Punt Road were barren years for Richmond but his ethic left an impression on cubs there, including Riewoldt and current skipper Trent Cotchin.

Riewoldt recalled a game early in the career of dual-premiership coach Damien Hardwick where Tuck fractured his scapula in the second term of a match in Adelaide. He managed to finish the match, though his efforts to tackle rivals with one arm drew the laughter of teammates as they swapped post-match notes.

Shane Tuck in action against Hawthorn at the MCG.

On another occasion the league quizzed Richmond as to whether Tuck was receiving coaching instructions via an earpiece as he was witnessed tapping his ear several times.

There was no rule breach. Tuck, who suffered from a perforated eardrum, wore cotton buds while playing to relieve some of the pain and had lost one during the match.

“He was an absolutely crowd favourite. He did the things Richmond people loved. He was hard. He was tough,” Riewoldt said on SEN 1116.

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale paid tribute to a Tiger who was crowned best clubman during his time at Punt Road. “Shane was such a warrior on the field, giving everything to the team each week, and a humble, fun-loving person off the field.”

Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck, right, with son Shane at the MCG in 2009

Richmond players will wear black armbands in memory of Tuck when they play the Giants in Sydney on Friday night.

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