Past Rodney Eade (1988-1990)

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Wikipedia

Recruited from Glenorchy, Tasmania, the winger played 229 games and kicked 46 goals for Hawthorn between 1976–1987, playing in the 1976, 1978, 1983, and 1986 premierships. He moved to the Brisbane Bears in 1988, playing 30 games and kicking 3 goals until his retirement in 1990.

Career Statistics

 

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1988 season

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Roger Merrett, Warwick Capper, prodigal son Scott McIvor, Rodney Eade and Rod Lester-Smith headed a sizeable profile bunch of recruits as the Bears tackled their second year.[/FONT]

 

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Coach of the 1991 Reserves Grand Final

In a game that fluctuated wildly throughout the day, the Demons had eked out a seven point lead at the last change. It was the Bears, though, who came home strongly with 8.5 to 2.0 in the last quarter to win. With most of the 75,000 strong crowd - there almost entirely for the main event - cheering for the underdog Bears the side responded in kind and claimed the first VFL/AFL premiership in any grade to be taken outside Victoria.

The Reserves Premiership - 1991

Eade was a magnificent coach, Lester-Smith an equally inspirational skipper with four goals in his last game, and fellow ex-Hawk Peter Curran was best afield by a whisker from Alex Ishchenko.

Eade had a big part to play. At three-quarter time he pulled a masterstroke which turned the game around. He swung out-of-sorts centreman Brad Rowe to full forward and instructed his other forwards to play outside the 50m line. Suddenly, an ineffectual forward set-up become thoroughly functional as the Bears kicked the ball long to space and almost doubled their score.

[B]B:[/B]       Lachlan Sim            Simon Luhrs       Ben Thomas
[B]HB:[/B]      Brenton Phillips       Matthew Kennedy   Shaun Hart
[B]C:[/B]       Steve McLuckie         Brad Rowe         Troy Clarke
[B]HF:[/B]      Ray Windsor            Peter Curran      Andrew Taylor
[B]F:[/B]       Rod Lester-Smith (c)   Cameron O'Brien   David Ogg
[B]R:[/B]       Alex Ishchenko         David Wearne      Corey Bell
[B]I/C:[/B]     David O'Keeffe         Robert Dickson
[B]Coach:[/B]   [U]Rodney Eade[/U]

 

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Robert Walls

I got to know Eade when we worked together at the Brisbane Bears in 1991. Before that he had played 12 years at Hawthorn under legendary coaches John Kennedy, David Parkin and Allan Jeans. On top of that, he played alongside some of the greats, Leigh Matthews, Don Scott, Robert Dipierdomenico, Dermott Brereton and Jason Dunstall. Surrounded by healthy egos, he soon developed his own, especially after being a premiership player in his first senior year of football. Three more followed. His last was in 1986 against Carlton. I coached the Blues that day and remember ''Rocket'', who had lost his speed on the wing, do a disciplined tagging job to curtail Craig Bradley, proving he knew how to adapt.

When we came together in 1991 at Carrara, he had just finished three injury-riddled years as a Bear. My two assistants were Eade and Norm Dare, who pushed the reluctant Eade to coach the reserve grade team. With great support from Norm, he took to the job like a duck to water. He was forever experimenting. He played three-man forward lines, flooded the backline with extra numbers and rotated forwards to the midfield and vice versa. He challenged 100 years of tradition. He questioned my ideas on football and selection. He both annoyed and excited me

 

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Mark Robinson

IT is 20 years since Rodney Eade began coaching - 20 years of learning, creating, refining, barracking, bellowing and finally evolving. Back then, he was a Brisbane Bears player who would coach the reserves until three-quarter time and then bolt into the rooms, get changed and join the rest of his senior teammates for the main game.
As archaic as it sounds,"Rocket" still took the team to the premiership in 1991.

Considering Eade finished playing in 1990, Robinson's time line seems to be out.

 

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Tasmanian Team of the Century

B:     Steven Febey         Verdun Howell    Bob Johnson
HB:    Matthew Armstrong    Barry Lawrence   [COLOR=Red][B]Rodney Eade[/B][/COLOR]
C:     Darrin Pritchard     Ian Stewart      Adrian Fletcher
HF:    Darrel Baldock       Royce Hart       Brent Croswell
F:     Matthew Richardson   Peter Hudson     Horrie Gorringe
R:     Jack Rough           John Leedham     Terry Cashion
I:     Colin Robertson      Alistair Lynch   Tim Evans 
       Brendan Gale         Daryn Cresswell  Garry Lyon
Coach: Bruce Carter

Fullpointsfooty

Rodney Eade began his senior football career with Glenorchy in 1975 where he made an immediate impact, catching the eye of mainland talent scouts and being voted the best first year player in the TFL. He moved to Hawthorn the following year and went on to be a tremendous performer for the Hawks in 229 games over the course of the next twelve seasons.

Wearing the number 26 jumper previously made famous by fellow Tasmanian great Peter Hudson (Eade's coach while at Glenorchy) he played in a premiership side during his debut season at Glenferrie and added further appearances in flag-winning combinations in 1978, 1983 and 1986. In 1988 he was named captain of the Tasmanian team which competed at the Bicentennial Australian football carnival in Adelaide.

Eade joined Brisbane in 1988 but found himself stymied by injury and was only able to add a further 30 senior games over his final three seasons in League football. There have been flashier and more extravagantly skilled players than Rodney Eade, but few who were as exhilarating to watch when in full flight.

 

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How they get their kicks off the field
Footy Record 1987
Round 20, page 4

Many current VFL players share Abernethy's love of fine cars. Hawthorn's Rodney Eade has a camel coloured Mercedes 280 SE, which he leases.

"I just like nice cars. I always have," said Eade.

"I'm not the best of handymen, and this one is so reliable. It doesn't break down and the comfort and the ride is just so good."

His Hawthorn teammates were impressed, particularly fellow Tasmanian Ian "General" Paton, who asked Eade if he'd act as a chauffeur for his wedding, as long as he "bought the Merc"!

Eade says the enjoyment he finds in driving the Mercedes far outweighs any "lair value". He previously drove a Toyota Corolla.

 

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500 game bear hug
Footy Record
Round 18, page 11

Bears imports Geoff Raines and Rod Eade are on target to play their 250th games this Saturday - and it has taken six clubs to do it!

As Herald man Geoff Poulter reported last week... it is a special day for Eade as he becomes the first Tasmanian to reach 250.