Universal Love RIP Paul Sproule

[SunshineBoy]

RIP , you came to us from the druggies became a tiger legend

 

[sregit]

Very good big time player.

 

[wegetpumped]

Very sad. Another in an era when we had legends galore.

 

[Joey longshadow]

R.I.P champion ...loved your work

 

[Freddy Swift]

Sad news. A great little player, an excellent pick up for Richmond during our golden era. Geez, what a time that was. Can’t believe he was 80.
Condolences to his family and friends.

 

[voorhees]

sad to hear...RIP Paul
commiseration to the sproule family

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

R.I.P
Another from the Tassie Tiger Factory.

 

[Nostradumbass]

R.I.P

 

[Grrr]

Remember watching him as a kid, quick and crafty, wore long sleeves a lot from memory. Good memories up in the old smokey Southern Stand when football was so simple, kick it to Royce.

 

[mianfei]

Only old enough to remember Sproule as a coach. He coached Richmond in 1985, when they had a few notable wins and stood second after six weeks but a weak defence meant they won only three of their next fourteen games with several big losses.

I even remember vaguely the news of Sproule being sacked after the 1985 season. When one sees that Richmond over the next eight seasons went 48–126 and did not once equal their 9–13 record under Sproule, something seems wrong until you realise Richmond's management must have still been expecting records like the 258–126–5 they managed between 1966 and 1982.

 

[Bojangles17]

Only old enough to remember Sproule as a coach. He coached Richmond in 1985, when they had a few notable wins and stood second after six weeks but a weak defence meant they won only three of their next thirteen games with several big losses.

I even remember vaguely the news of Sproule being sacked after the 1985 season. When one sees that Richmond over the next eight seasons went 48–126 and did not once equal their 9–13 record under Sproule, something seems wrong until you realise Richmond's management must have still been expecting records like the 258–126–5 they managed between 1966 and 1982.

I recall the president at the time resigned on acct of the coach leaving I think it was Barry Richardson , stand to be corrected

 

[Yze does it]

Only old enough to remember Sproule as a coach. He coached Richmond in 1985, when they had a few notable wins and stood second after six weeks but a weak defence meant they won only three of their next thirteen games with several big losses.

I even remember vaguely the news of Sproule being sacked after the 1985 season. When one sees that Richmond over the next eight seasons went 48–126 and did not once equal their 9–13 record under Sproule, something seems wrong until you realise Richmond's management must have still been expecting records like the 258–126–5 they managed between 1966 and 1982.

GR......kudos to him for building lists in the Hafey era.. WA, SA, TAS all produced guns for us. not to mention country vic & suburban melbourne.
I think GR wanted Hafey gone..

uber success...he believed the ruthless tag...lost Whale and Teasdale picked up Balme, Sproule McGhie. & McLean & Mal Brown


nothing but weird coaching calls after Hafey....sacked Jewell after a flag cos they wanted St Francis. it was a conveyor belt of head coaches.

 

[mianfei]

I recall the president at the time resigned on acct of the coach leaving I think it was Barry Richardson , stand to be corrected

This Age article shows you correct. The date was 13 September 1985.

Barry Richardson was very critical of the decision to sack Sproule. He said it was a case of

save yourself and blame the coach

and that Sproule had the support of the players for the second season he was given in his original November 1984 appointment. After the Grand Final, The Age described the sacking of Sproule as

a worthy winner in the weekly award in our quest to find the lowest act in football for season 1985

Sproule had — I did not know this previously — only narrowly defeated 1980 premiership coach Tony Jewell for the position during a major upheaval that had seen one-season Tiger coach Mike Patterson resign in November 1984. He even tried to sue Richmond for two million dollars in court.

There can be no doubt that Richmond's administration at this time was unwilling to criticse itself enough. It is also true that factors beyond their control, like changing demographics in Richmond's recruiting zones, may have been a factor behind their declining on-field fortunes that the administration did not consider.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

What?!?!!!?!?...R.I.P. Vale...

 

[TJTIGER]

RIP Tiger Paul....