Research Recent Deaths

[emuboy]

Daryl Cumming passed away Feb 24th his family advised us

Vale Daryl Cumming

He played in more Richmond Premierships than anyone, and was coached by Tom Hafey, Ron Barassi, Bob Skilton and Ian Stewart.

www.richmondfc.com.au

One of very few players to have played for all three of Melbourne, North Melbourne and South Melbourne.

 

[killer]

It was a 4 point loss to St Kilda (1978)
he had 8 kicks

 

[killer]

'I've lost something truly precious': McAvaney mourns great mate Cometti

Bruce McAvaney says he has "lost something truly precious" with the death of long-time AFL commentary partner Dennis Cometti.

www.abc.net.au

 

[killer]

Phil Sanders - 02/03/26
Sturt premiership player 1976

 

[killer]

Bill Dempsey MBE

(Darwin) Buffaloes + West Perth

Obituary for Bill Dempsey - West Perth Football Club

westperthfc.com.au

 

[WhiteHartLane23]

Another one from 2025 that was missed...
Frank Pattison (St Kilda) passed away on 23 May 2025 at the age of 97

Oliver G

 

[35Daicos]

Former Melbourne and Carlton player Peter Smith has died: https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1986078/former-carlton-forward-peter-smith-passes

That^ should be a 23 game senior stint with Melbourne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_V._Smith

I can't see a DOD at this stage.

Oliver G
Supermercado

A Collingwood premiership player has also died in recent days, but it hasn't yet been announced on Collingwood Forever or the club website.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

 

[WhiteHartLane23]

Former Melbourne and Carlton player Peter Smith has died: https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1986078/former-carlton-forward-peter-smith-passes
View attachment 2569955
That^ should be a 23 game senior stint with Melbourne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_V._Smith

I can't see a DOD at this stage.

From funeral notice date of death for Peter Smith was 1 April 2026
Oliver G

 

[GreyCrow]

A Collingwood premiership player has also died in recent days, but it hasn't yet been announced on Collingwood Forever or the club website.

Any follow up on this?

 

[35Daicos]

Any follow up on this?

Collingwood 1958 premiership player Ken Smale died recently: https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/ken-smale

https://www.wimmeramalleenews.com.au/tributes-and-funerals

Ken Smale - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oliver G

 

[rbartlett]

35Daicos has done some amazing detective work throughout today to discover that Richmond's John Claxton, passed away in 2015. Wiki/RFC/AF all had him as still living, but the final piece of the puzzle was this discovery

Summary: John Claxton (RFC) died December 22nd 2015 , aged 81

 

[emuboy]

Former Melbourne and Carlton player Peter Smith has died: https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1986078/former-carlton-forward-peter-smith-passes
View attachment 2569955
That^ should be a 23 game senior stint with Melbourne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_V._Smith
View attachment 2569957
I can't see a DOD at this stage.

Oliver G
Supermercado

A Collingwood premiership player has also died in recent days, but it hasn't yet been announced on Collingwood Forever or the club website.

Wow, I never knew that Ron Barassi coached the son of his own mentor Norm Smith to a premiership at Carlton. Mind completely blown.

 

[35Daicos]

Wow, I never knew that Ron Barassi coached the son of his own mentor Norm Smith to a premiership at Carlton. Mind completely blown.

He played senior games under Barassi at Carlton in the premiership years of 1968 and 1970, but wasn't in a Grand Final winning team.

 

[35Daicos]

Former Collingwood and Richmond player Michael (Mick) Erwin died recently: https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1996527/vale-mick-erwin
He was also Collingwood coach in the second half of the 1982 season.

Mick ERWIN

Mick Erwin started the 1962 season viewing it as a year of consolidation and growth. He’d just come off his first year at the club, where he managed 14 games with the under-19s and won selection in the under-19s Victorian team.

forever.collingwoodfc.com.au

Mick Erwin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The DOB most (football) records have for Mick is incorrect:

It's now been changed on Collingwood Forever. The Encyclopedia has this DOB in it's most recent edition, and the 2002 edition has the same. Yet the likes of the AFL (seemingly, since they had 6 June 1943 in the days of the Historical Stats website), AF.com, AFL Tables and Wikipedia have 6 June 1943 also.

Oliver G
*Paul*

 

[Goggin Our Best]

He was Captain Coach of Coburg in the glory years of the VFA in the 70s . back then they would allways have 1 game on the Saturday

Then John Dugdale the ex Nth Melb player he took over as coach and Mick was captain

Sorry to hear his passing

 

[rbartlett]

Richmond obit here for Mick Erwin

Vale Mick Erwin

He won Richmond’s goalkicking, was in a famous Jack Dyer video, replaced Tom Hafey as Collingwood coach, and found success in the VFA.

www.richmondfc.com.au

Includes the film of him and my father being taught how to kick straight by 51 year old Jack Dyer