Sturt legend Fitzgerald dies
MICHELANGELO RUCCI, CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21571083-12428,00.html
April 17, 2007 09:10am
TRIPLE Magarey Medallist Len Fitzgerald - a Sturt and Collingwood great - died overnight. He was 77.
"Fitz" is regarded as one of Australian football's greatest players of the 20th Century.
Fitzgerald started young – at the age of 15 – in league football playing for Collingwood. He finished at Sturt in 1962 at age 32 being described as ''the veritable Methuselah of football."
He played 96 VFL games for Collingwood from 1945 to 1950. He had two stints at Sturt – from 1951-55 and 1959-62 – playing 125 SANFL games.
Along the way the gentleman half-forward won the Magarey Medal three times – 1952, 1954 and 1959 – was an All-Australian in 1953 and represented Victoria twice and South Australia 20 times.
SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker – who was coached by Fiztgerald as an under-19 player at Sturt – today penned the first tribute to his hero.
"All the things Len Fitzgerald did in football are well documented, but we must remember his passion for the game never waned," said Whicker.
"Whenever you met Len you could not be impressed with his love of football – and his wisdom that he always passed on.
"As a player, he was the champion before his time. He was such a brilliant player. He would take a mark and his quick hands would have the ball moving before he hit the deck. His ability to read the play was well before his time. If he played in today's football, he'd still be one of the greatest."
Fitzgerald was inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame in its inaugural honours in 1996. He regularly attended the ceremony declaring his allegiance to South Australia rather than to his native Victoria.
Despite ill health, Fitzgerald made a personal commitment this year to watch every Sturt game and be at AAMI Stadium for all Crows matches.
Former SA Football Commission member Nerio Ferraro escorted Fitzgerald and his wife Beryl to AAMI Stadium on Saturday to watch Adelaide's 24-point win against Port Adelaide in Showdown XXII.
"It was the perfect weekend for Len – the Crows won, Sturt won and he would have gone to bed last night not only with a smile on his face but one on his big heart," said Ferraro this morning.
Fitzgerald also coached in SA league football, leading Sturt from 1951-55 and Glenelg from 1964-66.
MICHELANGELO RUCCI, CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21571083-12428,00.html
April 17, 2007 09:10am
TRIPLE Magarey Medallist Len Fitzgerald - a Sturt and Collingwood great - died overnight. He was 77.
"Fitz" is regarded as one of Australian football's greatest players of the 20th Century.
Fitzgerald started young – at the age of 15 – in league football playing for Collingwood. He finished at Sturt in 1962 at age 32 being described as ''the veritable Methuselah of football."
He played 96 VFL games for Collingwood from 1945 to 1950. He had two stints at Sturt – from 1951-55 and 1959-62 – playing 125 SANFL games.
Along the way the gentleman half-forward won the Magarey Medal three times – 1952, 1954 and 1959 – was an All-Australian in 1953 and represented Victoria twice and South Australia 20 times.
SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker – who was coached by Fiztgerald as an under-19 player at Sturt – today penned the first tribute to his hero.
"All the things Len Fitzgerald did in football are well documented, but we must remember his passion for the game never waned," said Whicker.
"Whenever you met Len you could not be impressed with his love of football – and his wisdom that he always passed on.
"As a player, he was the champion before his time. He was such a brilliant player. He would take a mark and his quick hands would have the ball moving before he hit the deck. His ability to read the play was well before his time. If he played in today's football, he'd still be one of the greatest."
Fitzgerald was inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame in its inaugural honours in 1996. He regularly attended the ceremony declaring his allegiance to South Australia rather than to his native Victoria.
Despite ill health, Fitzgerald made a personal commitment this year to watch every Sturt game and be at AAMI Stadium for all Crows matches.
Former SA Football Commission member Nerio Ferraro escorted Fitzgerald and his wife Beryl to AAMI Stadium on Saturday to watch Adelaide's 24-point win against Port Adelaide in Showdown XXII.
"It was the perfect weekend for Len – the Crows won, Sturt won and he would have gone to bed last night not only with a smile on his face but one on his big heart," said Ferraro this morning.
Fitzgerald also coached in SA league football, leading Sturt from 1951-55 and Glenelg from 1964-66.
