What happened to Tom Hafey in '76?

[El Dunc]

Can any older Tigers tell me what went on in '76 to cause Tommy Hafey to leave Richmond?

I've been going a bit "Rhett Barlett" and looking at some old results. The thing that leaps out at me is;
Why did we sack Tommy 1 year after finishing 3rd & 2 years aftr winning his 4th flag in 10 years?

Tommy's demise is the beginning of the end of us as a power, we were terrible for 20 years before he arrived & apart from the first few years after he left we have been terrible for the 20 years since he went!

It's just amazing to me that a man who won 4 flags in 10 years was gone 2 years after the last one & after only 1 really bad year.

It's obviously a boardroom thing cos Tommy was as good as ever at the Pies in '77!

Any info loyal Tigers???

[1980GFVideo]

I was alive but too young to remember.

Had this Graeme Richmond (Number one man at the club) attitude of ruthlessness and intolerance within the club.

Administration felt the club had got the premiership list together, and a coach had to win the big one or he was considered to have failed.

Unfortunately this type of approach kept going all through the eighties with a new coach every two years. Bourke and Jewell were replaced after not getting into the finals that year. The coaches didnt have good lists, they had rejects from other clubs and by 1983 we were ageing bad as a list with no real prospects comming our own stock. For a club that had a lot of pride we sure looked at other clubs alot for our players.

While Hafey did his stuff at Collingwood we had Barry Richardson.

Alot of ex Richmond players burnt thier coaching careers in that time and afterwards.

You are right on the mark though. 4 flags in ten years must have been a fantastic time given where we were before then and where we were afterwards.

[Tigerbob]

My dad tells me of that fateful day, everytime he has a bit to drink.

He reckons you could feel the soul of the club leave when Tommy did. Hates the board of that time and there was no logical reasoning for it.

As history shows, besides 1980 we have been dudded ever since :(

[Fishfinger]

Can any older Tigers tell me what went on in '76 to cause Tommy Hafey to leave Richmond?


From the H/S article last week (Wilson = Caro's dad, then president Ian Wilson):

Wilson never picked a Richmond team again, but he did have a pivotal role on the day late in 1976 when Hafey was sensationally sacked as Richmond coach after 11 seasons.

"I can tell you now the 13-man vote was 11-2 in favour of Tommy being retained, but someone leaked the result of the vote to Tom and straight away he said, `You can stick it up your jumper'," Wilson said.

"I went to his house to try and talk him out of it but he said, `No, if two of them don't want me, I'm going'."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,16653336%255E19771,00.html

[El Dunc]

thanks for that fish finger... what a great man Tommy still is!

I can't beleive a man of 74 can do: 5am rise with an 8km run, 200 push-ups and a swim and finishes with 600 sit-ups at home.

Anyway back to the endless trade talk....

[1980]

From the H/S article last week (Wilson = Caro's dad, then president Ian Wilson):

Wilson never picked a Richmond team again, but he did have a pivotal role on the day late in 1976 when Hafey was sensationally sacked as Richmond coach after 11 seasons.

"I can tell you now the 13-man vote was 11-2 in favour of Tommy being retained, but someone leaked the result of the vote to Tom and straight away he said, `You can stick it up your jumper'," Wilson said.

"I went to his house to try and talk him out of it but he said, `No, if two of them don't want me, I'm going'."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,16653336%255E19771,00.html

Fk me. I didnt know Ian Wilson was Caro's old man. That explains a hell of a lot

Thanks for the artice fish. Some great pieces of Richmond history there. LMAO at Len Smith upset by Slug's bad language. LMAO at Slug hiding Royce Hart from the seniors

What great characters there used to be around the place like Slug Jordan.

[tigerboyz]

makes you wonder how many flags we dudded ourselves had he the full support of the board and stayed as long as sheedy has for the bombers.all i know is the players loved him and played for him and that's rare as hens teeth. :o

[Bert Foster]

Seriously can we please have some perspective. It is easy to sit in 2005 and blame a, b and c for years of under achievement - but to blame those invoved in Tommy Hafey's exit is a stretch. Lets not forget we played Tommy's pies in 80.