News RIP Neil Sachse

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Just saw the news in another thread. I actually became reacquainted with his story recently when I was on YouTube searching for videos for the Ted Whitten death anniversary thread. Memory eternal.

 

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I remember the shock of it all at the time.

He handled his circumstances with courage, humility and grace that can teach us quite a lot in our current situation.

RIP.
 
fred cook said:
I was at the game on the day this tragic event happened RIP in Neil
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Yeah I remember that day so well sitting on the fence in the forward pocket with my dad as a 10 year old... So sad RIP Neil..
 
RIP Neil.

Was there that too. O'Keefe was number 11. Was common in those days for players to just run in, surprisingly this did.not happen more.

An.insperation.

The event nearly killed Bob Rose after has sons injury earlier

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Despite the challenges of his life, Sachse was defiant, insisting in 2016 that his was "not a hard-luck story".

"Having a positive attitude was part of my solution," he said.

"By drowning in my sorrows, others around me would drown.

"By being happy within myself I knew that other people would follow."
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Chicago1 said:
Just saw the news in another thread. I actually became reacquainted with his story recently when I was on YouTube searching for videos for the Ted Whitten death anniversary thread. Memory eternal.

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Excellent clip

I was in the Whitten Stand that day and on the stairwell after the game
One of the saddest days I ever witnessed
Condolences to his family and his friends, RIP Neil
 

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Neil Sachse was a great person.
He was the face of spinal injury, for many decades.
Neil was also a massive inspiration to my family, with my Brother suffering a similar type of injury.

Condolences to the Sachse family.

RIP, Neil. Your legacy will forever live on.
 
Optimistic Dog said:
RIP Neil. I was there remember it well at the Barkley Street end. Collected the ball put his head down and a red head Fitzroy player by the name of O'Keefe came charging in and hit his head with his hip. It was an eerie feeling.
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Yes. I was there too. I don't think I realised how serious it was at the time, but the news later was very sad. Great person to remain as positive as he did. Am very saddened by this news.

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It's been a year of bad and sad news, but this is as sad as it gets for me. A truly inspiring human being, who lived a positive life despite his personal adversity.

I was also there, but don't think we realised the implications until we got back in the car and turned on 3KZ with their post-match reports.

RIP Neil Sachse - forever in Bulldog hearts. :'(

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Sorry to hear.

I only know the rough story, and certainly was not there. Know the outcome for him.

But what of Sachse's opponent who hit him? What has happened to him?

Was it just an unlucky accident or was his opponent culpable in an obviously dangerous and deliberate hit?
 
Not many people probably remember, but Neil was solid in our round 1 loss away v Melbourne, but easily in our best in round 2 v Fitzroy. Captain Sandilands was BOG with 8 goals, but Sachse took 10 marks, the most in the game, ahead of Dempsey's 9. The whole game is on youtube in 4 parts, posted by the Sachse Foundation many years ago. The last few minutes are hard to watch, knowing the circumstances.

AFL Tables - Footscray v Fitzroy - Sat, 12-Apr-1975 2:10 PM - Match Stats

afltables.com

(93 free kicks in a game! If only the siren had gone a minute or two earlier. :'( )
 
Dry Rot said:
Sorry to hear.

I only know the rough story, and certainly was not there. Know the outcome for him.

But what of Sachse's opponent who hit him? What has happened to him?

Was it just an unlucky accident or was his opponent culpable in an obviously dangerous and deliberate hit?
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No real culpability, and I don't think O'Keefe was that sort of player. In fact Kevin O'Keefe has been a constant supporter of the Sachse Foundation for many years, going on fund-raising bike rides. Sachse was bent down in a falling motion with the ball and O'Keefe came in to contest, certainly doesn't look malicious.

(Compare O'Keefe's actions for the rest of his life to those criminals Neale and O'Dea from St Kilda, who also altered the lives of opponents, but both with malicious intent. In successive weeks in 1972, one destroyed the career, and caused life-long challenges, for one of the brightest stars of the game, and the other permanently blinded a young Bulldog and ended his career as well.)
 
NBates said:
Yes. I was there too. I don't think I realised how serious it was at the time, but the news later was very sad. Great person to remain as positive as he did. Am very saddened by this news.

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I was there too and like you we obviously weren't aware of how devastating this was. It's cringe worthy now listening to the commentators talking about how both our reserves have already been used and that he won't be able to play next week after a knock like that.

He carried himself with great grace and lived a hugely valuable life after picking himself up from such a tragedy.
A far better man than me.

Vale Sachsey #6
 
My thoughts are with Neil's family, friends and team mates, especially those who played on that horrific day. Rest in Peace Neil and you have many great friends throughout the community. The Doggies clan is that bit poorer this evening.
 
Standing on the terraces of the Whitten stand gave me a good view of the incident and it went pretty much as Optimistic Dog described above. Most people were numbed by the incident but I don't think any of us realised the seriousness of it during the game. Under today's rules O'Keefe would have been in serious trouble but in those days there was limited protection for the head in body clashes. Importantly, Sachse held no grudges, got on with life and became an inspiration for others facing adversity. As a related issue, we've had our share of tragedies affecting our players: Robert Rose, Neil Sachse, Ron James, and it is difficult to quantify in retrospect what affect these had on the club at the time.
 
Dry Rot said:
Sorry to hear.

I only know the rough story, and certainly was not there. Know the outcome for him.

But what of Sachse's opponent who hit him? What has happened to him?

Was it just an unlucky accident or was his opponent culpable in an obviously dangerous and deliberate hit?
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I don’t think linking it would be appropriate, but you can find footage of it. O’Keefe didn’t really do anything wrong but it was all factors working together that ended up with the worst result
 
I was at the game too.

Left a little early, not sure why. Usually stayed 'til the end. Dogs won easily.

I missed it by a couple of minutes. I'd been standing on the terraces, right in front of the spot where it happened.

Listening to it unfold on the radio going home, I was kinda glad I'd missed it :(

Condolences to Neil's family and friends.
 
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