Vale Frank Tuck

AFL

Frank Tuck played 131 games for Collingwood between 1950 and 1959.

COLLINGWOOD is mourning the loss of former captain Frank Tuck – one of the unluckiest players in AFL/VFL history.
Tuck, who died last Friday aged 84, could easily have been a two-time premiership player, but the tough backman endured such a cursed run that he finished empty-handed.
He missed the Magpies' 1953 premiership while serving a four-game suspension for striking Footscray full-forward Jack Collins in the final round.
Most dramatically, a hamstring injury robbed Tuck of the honour of becoming a premiership captain in 1958 as Collingwood produced the greatest boilovers in Grand Final history against Melbourne.
However, the team-first Tuck was more disappointed about playing in three losing Grand Final sides – in 1952 against Geelong, followed by the 1955 and 1956 defeats to the Demons.
Recruited from Strathmerton in northern Victoria, he debuted in 1950 and made his name as an accountable, tough half-back flanker who could also play in the centre.
Tuck was runner-up in the Pies' best and fairest in 1957 and the next year was appointed captain – a position he held for two years.
At the end of 1959, after 131 games, Tuck retired from League football to coach Ovens and Murray league club Corowa, where he again finished runner-up in 1963.

Frank Tuck
Games: 131
Goals: 34
Born: 24 July 1931
Recruited From: Strathmerton
Debut: Round 3 1950
Honours: Collingwood captain 1958-1959, Life Member 1959, J.J. Joyce Trophy (third in the best-and-fairest) 1957, Bob Rose Trophy (Best Finals Player) 1952

1990 Side Enters Collingwood Hall of Fame

AFL

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 11 Max 26 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

ST KILDA coach Alan Richardson will be one of 45 former players and staff from the 1990 premiership team inducted into the Collingwood Hall of Fame on Wednesday night as the Magpies honour the people who helped break a famous flag drought.
Richardson was unlucky to miss the 1990 Grand Final after failing a brutal fitness test conducted by then coach Leigh Matthews, who tested Richardson's injured shoulder with a quick bump as he left the track.
Shane Kerrison replaced Richardson, who had played 18 games that season, and performed well in the decider.
Richardson played 114 games for the Magpies from 1987-96. Coleman medallist Brian Taylor and popular defender Ron McKeown were also unlucky to not make the team in 1990, led by coach Matthews and skipper Tony Shaw.
The latter was brilliant during the finals series and won the Norm Smith Medal.
Sadly, Darren Millane, who held the ball as the siren went to signal the Magpies' first flag for 32 years – breaking a sequence of nine Grand Final appearances without victory – died a year later in a car accident.
The Magpies did not win another flag for 20 years after that victory and did not win a final for 12 seasons until the 2002 qualifying final. The induction will take place at Collingwood's season launch.
The Magpies will also induct Ted Rowell, who played 189 games between 1901-1915, receiving a champion of the colony award, leading the club's goalkicking twice and coaching the club from 1907-08.

The 1990 outfit will become just the fourth Collingwood team honoured in such fashion, following the 1929, 1953 and 1958 sides.

Luke Ball Retires

Collingwood News

A courageous, selfless footballer, Luke Ball can be found scrapping hard beneath the packs and is always the last man to rise when the umpire calls for a ball-up.
When he arrived at Collingwood at the end of 2009, he filled the gap in the engine room left by Scott Burns and Paul Licuria, and was a key part in securing the club’s 15th premiership twelve months later.
Ball was a key figure in St Kilda's rise in the mid-2000s, but found the sea change he was after at Collingwood. One of the most consistent and respected players in the game, Ball managed to fight back from a serious knee reconstruction to reclaim his place in the centre square.
To mark his retirement, collingwoodfc.com.au has charted his career, dating back to the 2001, the year he was drafted with the second selection in the ‘Super Draft’ that featured Luke Hodge and Chris Judd. 

2001
Ball played for Sandringham U18 in the TAC Cup, and was school vice captain of Xavier College. He was famously drafted by St Kilda in the November ‘Super Draft’. At pick two, he was wedged between Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) and Chris Judd (West Coast).

2002
He spent the year completing his studies at Xavier College, and sat out all bar one match (for St Kilda’s then VFL affiliate Springvale) with osteitis pubis.

2003
Debuted for St Kilda in round one against the Kangaroos at the MCG, and looked at home immediately as he gathered 17 disposals and kicked the first goal of his career. He was nominated for the AFL Rising Star in round two against Adelaide (11 disposals, one goal).
Ball played 16 games for the season, peaking with 27 possessions in two matches (round five against Geelong and round 21 against the Bulldogs) and his brother Matthew (17 games) was drafted to Hawthorn.

Collingwood v Hawthorn Friday August 29, 7.50pm MCG 7mate / Fox Footy 7.30pm Weather: Min 8 Max 18 Chance of rain 20%: <1mm Wind: SSW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $9.50 Hawthorn $1.07

2004
Ball played in St Kilda’s pre-season premiership team, and played in all 25 matches (including three finals) as the Saints reached the penultimate week. He kicked two in the Preliminary Final loss to Port Adelaide to cap off a strong finals series.
He received eight Brownlow votes for the year, and reached the 30-disposal mark for the first time in round 15 against Melbourne. He also managed 17 goals for the season, ran second in St Kilda’s Best and Fairest and represented Australia in the International Rules series.

2005
Named in the All-Australian side for the first time in his career, Ball amassed 528 disposals across 24 games. He continued to reinforce his reputation as a prolific tackler, recording 126 for the second year in succession.
He also received another nine Brownlow Medal votes, and initiated heated debate over his fearless play when he had his head split open by Port Adelaide’s Aaron Shattock mid-season.

2006
Anointed St Kilda’s captain (in line with then-coach Grant Thomas’ controversial policy of rotating the club captaincy), Ball struggled all season with groin injuries, but still managed to lead the team in handballs and tackles. His influence in front of goal was limited, as he kicked only three for the season. He still found 25 disposals and six tackles in the Elimination Final loss to Melbourne.

2007
Severe concussion suffered following a heavy bump from Demon Matthew Whelan meant Ball began his season on a sour note. He was forced to sit out the next two weeks, and was plagued there on by osteitis pubis.
He showed he was still capable of his best form when he won 31 possessions and kicked three goals against the resurgent Hawthorn in round 16. He had adductor-release surgery at season’s end to alleviate his groin troubles.

2008
Made some improvements on the previous two seasons, finishing ninth in St Kilda’s best and fairest, and playing the first 18 games without a miss. He ranked second at the club for tackles and contested possessions, but missed the last seven games (including three finals) with a hamstring injury. Ball also played in St Kilda’s pre-season premiership team for the second time in his career.

2009
Ball played 24 of 25 matches in the seniors, but was dropped for the first time since 2003 in round 16. He was a victim of the rapid improvement of second tier Saints such as Clint Jones and Andrew McQualter, and was squeezed out of the side due to a perceived lack of pace on the dry Docklands track.
Despite this, he was still one of St Kilda’s best-performed players in the losing Grand Final side, winning 22 disposals despite only playing 46 per cent of the match in conditions tailor-made for stoppage specialists.
He sought a trade to Collingwood in October but the two clubs could not strike a deal; footy folklore records that St Kilda refused Collingwood’s offer of pick 25 and a player for Ball’s services.
Regardless of the truth, Ball left the club and endured a nervous month until the Magpies’ Recruiting Manager Derek Hine finally called out his name with the 30th selection at the National Draft.

2010
It took just one season for Ball to vindicate his decision to cross to Collingwood.
He proved his doubters wrong with a brilliant season in the centre square, playing every match for the first time since 2005, bumping his season average disposal count back up to 21.1 and his tackle average to 6.5.
The leadership he provided to a youthful Collingwood team was not lost on his teammates, winning the Gavin Brown Award for Leading Desire Indicators, and running finished fifth in the Copeland Trophy.
His 155 tackles were a career-high, and he earned a Brownlow vote for his three goal, 20 disposal effort against Carlton in round six.
Ironically, Ball faced off with St Kilda in the two Grand Finals.
He battled to have an influence in the first Grand Final, winning only 13 disposals, but was one of the best afield in the replay when he gathered 25 disposals to cap off a controversial but ultimately fulfilling 12 months.

2011
Ball refused to rest on his laurels and turned in another stellar season in the midfield.
He joined the club’s leadership group, averaging 21.5 disposals and 166 tackles in 24 matches and also returned to form in front of goal, slotting 18.3 for the season to silence those in the media who claimed he’d lost power in his legs.
He became more important as the season wore on, turning out consistent performances all year long. He grabbed the spotlight during the finals with two clutch goals to seal victory – first against West Coast in the Qualifying Final, and the second a fortnight later against Hawthorn.
Loose at a stoppage inside 50m, Ball sharked the Hawthorn hitout and snapped truly on his left out of the congestion.
He began well against Geelong in the Grand Final but tapered as the game wore on.
Ball also played in his third pre-season premiership, and won his second Gavin Brown Award in as many years.

2012
Sadly, the tough midfielder’s 10th AFL season and third for Collingwood was cut dramatically short when he ruptured his right anterior cruciate ligament in round three against Carlton.
His renowned professionalism was on show when he continued to support his teammates with appearances at training and recovery while he was in rehabilitation, and was back on the track with them during the finals.
Ball fell about a month short of playing again and signed a two-year contract extension in June.

2013
Collingwood fans breathed a sigh of relief when their brave onballer finally returned from a knee reconstruction against Geelong in round eight.
Hamstring issues delayed his start to the season but once released into the VFL he wasted no time in getting his hands dirty.
He proved he had lost none of his touch when he recorded 26 possessions and eight clearances on return against Bendigo during a Friday night VFL fixture at the Queen Elizabeth Oval and was summoned to AFL ranks a fortnight later.
True to form, Ball managed to notch 28 disposals and nine tackles in his second game back against the Swans in round nine. He went on to produce a consistent season punctured by three one-week layoffs with calf complaints.
He was at his best against Essendon in round 19 when he polled three Brownlow votes owing to his seven tackles, 22 possessions and four clearances.

2014
Turning 30 in May, Ball’s season began well, averaging 22.0 disposals in the first month before a nagging back injury started to hamper his progress. He was forced to spend time in the VFL as he made his return, performing well against Box Hill and Essendon in successive weeks before slotting back into the side against Brisbane in round 21.

Nick's Pics

Lou Richards honoured

Collingwood News Collingwood legend, Lou Richards, is the inaugural recipient of the John Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award. A 250-game Collingwood premiership captain and, later, a football media giant for more than 50 years, Richards received his award at the Westpac Centre this morning from the man in whose honour it has been struck, John Kennedy Senior, and AFL commission chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick. Flanked by family, former team-mates and media colleagues, among others, the 91 year-old Richards heard Fitzpatrick speak of him as one of the most important and unique figures the game has known. "Lou Richards has had a profound and enduring influence on our code, both with a football in his hands and also, at the end of his playing career, with a microphone and a pen," Fitzpatrick said. Collingwood President, Eddie McGuire, having earlier unveiled a bronze statue of Richards on the grounds of the club’s Olympic Park training base, asked: "Has any man in football history done more for the game? "A champion on the field, Lou Richards became a superstar off it. He helped make football one of the most popular and successful forms of entertainment. His unprecedented career in the football media as a commentator, entertainer and journalist has had a remarkable impact on the growth and success of the game in this country. "No one person can claim to have done more for the game, or for Collingwood, than Lou Richards." The John Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award has been struck to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the game across multiple fields, as Kennedy did as a Hawthorn player, premiership coach and AFL commission chairman. The award criteria reads: "The John Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented periodically to an individual who has made an extraordinary and positive contribution to the AFL competition and/or the game of Australian Football as an administrator, media representative, player, coach or field umpire, or any combination thereof." Richards was Collingwood royalty by the time he retired as a player in 1955. He was the local boy who lived the dream thousands of others in the tough working class suburb dreamt, the grandson of Charlie Pannam who grew up behind the Collingwood Town Hall, attended Collingwood Tech and, ultimately, led the Magpies to a premiership in 1953. This was a triumph shared with his brother, Ron, who starred against Geelong in the grand final. Across the decades, six members of the Richards/Pannam clan played 930 matches in Collingwood black and white. Better, they shared in eight premierships. The regard and affection for Richards the footballer quickly spread beyond the streets of Melbourne’s inner-north, though, once his humour and passion for football found expression in print, radio and the then fledgling television industry. As a media performer he was quick-witted, irreverent and full of lip – some would say much like he was as a player - hence the moniker ‘Louie the Lip’ he carried down the years. He was playfully mischievous and a wonderful comic who worked brilliantly across a range of shows and mediums but never better than when he was in the company of his ‘League Teams’ and ‘World of Sport’ sidekicks ‘Captain Blood’ Jack Dyer and Bob ‘Woofa’ Davis. As McGuire has often noted, every person making a living out of the football media today owes a debt to Richards for his trailblazing work as a pundit, columnist, spruiker, entertainer and terrible ‘Kiss of Death’ tipping. "He invented football as entertainment," McGuire said. "Millions of fans, for more than 50 years, loved and laughed about their football because of him." Richards was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Collingwood Hall of Fame in 2004. The statue of Richards was created by Louis Laumen, one of Australia’s most respected sculptors, and underwritten by passionate Collingwood fans Tony Sells and Damian Lister, whose company getwinesdirect.com has also produced a commemorative Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, selling by the name of ‘Louie the Lip’. Laumen has sculpted a number of the statues that grace the MCG including those of Leigh Matthews, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, Bill Ponsford, Hayden Bunton and Keith Miller.

REAL FOOTY Lou Richards and John Kennedy first met more than 60 footy seasons ago, as captains of Collingwood and Hawthorn respectively. Between the magisterial Kennedy and the scamp-ish Richards and their clubs, little love was lost. At half-time, Richards would sidle up to Kennedy and ask: "Want a fiver on this?" Usually, the then imperious Magpies were well in front. When Richards led Collingwood to its 12th premiership in 1953, Hawthorn still had not won one. Post-football, both wore many hats. Kennedy's were more heavy duty: premiership coach, sage, rising to chairman of the AFL Commission. Richards, whose retirement coincided with the arrival of television in Australia, became a pioneer of sports media. There was a time when he was Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman and, say, Rex Hunt rolled into one, and his profile was at least as high as any of theirs. He opened all the doors through which McGuire, foremost among many, has chirpily charged. His style was irreverent, mischievous, calculatedly maladroit. He would figure to lose outrageous bets about games, so at various times submitting himself to cutting Ted Whitten's lawn with nail clippers, piggybacking gargantuan North Melbourne ruckman Mick Nolan down Arden St, being wheeled in a barrow down Lygon St by Carlton's Warren "Wow" Jones, and having a bowl of spaghetti tipped over his head by Mario Bortolotto. Recalled with a guffaw by McGuire on Thursday, Richards once said of a hard-but-fair player: "He painted iodine on his boots so that the would not infect you when he kicked you.'' It was one line of thousands. AFL Commission chairman (and then nervous Carlton captain) Mike Fitzpatrick dryly remembered Richards' antics on Thursday as "colourful stunts and wagers". Kennedy was best known for stern visage, but admitted on Thursday that even he would chuckle behind closed doors at Richards on League Teams on Thursday and World of Sport on Sunday - sometimes. "If we lost the day before, I probably wouldn't even have been watching. If we'd won, I'd laugh at anything," he said. "He was marvellous at it. He was genuinely funny. With Jack Dyer and Bob Davis, they were unique as a trio." As one of Richards' newspaper ghost writers, I was in awe of his always brimming enthusiasm for football, as if every day was his first in the game all over again. He embodied the Zeitgeist then, not just football's, but Melbourne's. It lasted more than 50 years. Fitzpatrick said he had "a profound influence on our code". But it was not officially legendary. Though a Hall of Famer, he did not meet the criteria to be made into a Legend with a capital L. A bungled attempt to invest him with a substitute honour in 2009 hurt him and did not proceed. But McGuire, bursting with Collingwoodness, would not leave it at that. Because of his drive, and abetted by private sponsorship money on a scale only Collingwood can attract, a classic bronze Louis Lamen statue of Richards was unveiled at the Westpac Centre on Thursday to sit alongside one of Bob Rose. Richards is 91 now, wheelchair-bound and not given to nearly so much lip, but he was there to witness this immortalisation. There to hail him were former teammates, former rivals, many fans, four generations of family and the entire contemporary Collingwood list. The twist was delivered by Fitzpatrick, who announced Richards as the winner of the inaugural lifetime achievement award, to recognise "outstanding contribution" to the game in various ways other than playing exploits. Richards did not speak, and yet you could hear his reply anyway, in and from the echoes of time: "Well, golly gosh." The award was named for Kennedy, who was there to present it to Richards in the Magpies' inner sanctum, a place he once could not have imagined breaching. But a lot of water has passed beneath the bridge, also much of a thicker substance. Eleven Hawthorn premierships, all with Kennedy's stamp on them, meant that he and Richards and their clubs met again on Thursday as mutually respectful equals, with only this much trace of feeling between them, evinced by Kennedy: "There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then - but you want to keep it going, just the same. Just in case." It is a sentiment so age-old it could be, if not sculpted in bronze, set in stone.

SUPERFOOTY COLLINGWOOD great Lou Richards has been immortalised with a bronze statue in his honour, unveiled at the club’s headquarters today. Richards, 91, was also honoured by the AFL commission which announced the 251 game star as the inaugural recipient of the John Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award. Richards said the statue, unveiled beside the Westpac Centre, was "a great thrill". "I never thought I’d be so famous," he said. "To do this for me is unbelievable, I’m honoured." Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said Richards was "one of a kind" and the statue a fitting way to recognise his contribution to football and society. "This is one of the great days," he said. "Forget about the Royal tour up in NSW this is Victorian royalty. Lou Richards is the man ..." John Kennedy Snr presented Richards with the achievement award in recognition of his positive influence on AFL. AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said the honour reflected Richards’ remarkable commitment and contribution as a footballer and football media pioneer. "Lou has enriched our enjoyment and love of the game in so many ways, over such a long period of time," he said. With statues of Richards and Collingwood legend Bob Rose outside its training headquarters, McGuire said it was now time for a Magpies footballer to join the likes of Essendon great John Coleman immortalised outside the MCG. "Maybe Jock McHale, given the fact he won eight premierships on the MCG, should be the bloke that has the first Collingwood connection over there," he said. "Yes it would be nice if the MCC commemorated one of our champions. "But you know what, we’ve got plenty of room here, Collingwood looks after its own and we don’t care about anyone else." Richards played for 15 seasons at Collingwood, captaining the club from 1952-1955. After football he embarked on a media career that spanned more than five decades including sports journalism for the Sun News Pictorial, World of Sport and the Footy Show. The 1953 premiership captain and media trail blazer was celebrated in a stirring ceremony flanked by Magpies greats and a guard of honour from current Pies players.