News Vale Bob Philp

[Rexie J]

Bob passed away 26th December aged 86 years.

Bob was a ruckman and played 133 games for Port Adelaide.

I have great memories of watching Bob play many of his games. He was true Port Adelaide.

He was also a inducted into the Port Adelaide Football Hall of Fame.

Bob was a also a great story teller.

RIP Bob.

 

[Bump Bailey]

Vale Bob. A literal giant of the footy club on and off the field and a great, very popular bloke.

 

[raptalia]

Yes the Emu was part of Port for sure. He worked in the pub trade for many years and managed several pubs in the Port area. Last time I saw Emu was in the Monkey House around ten years ago and he had lost none of his liking for a good story.

From memory Bob wore no13. By today's standards he was not overly tall for a ruckman probably about 6'3" or 192cm which is around Ryan Burton size. He could take a mark and always gave it 100%. Bob Philp played for Port from 1958 'til 1968.

Sadly Foster's men are all leaving us. Thanks for the memories Emu.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Vale Bob.

Only chatted to him a couple of times, but when I first started attending Port's August info night's, or AGM's in the early '00's, when I was in town from Sydney and he was always there and would ask questions. Still kept seeing him at meetings when I moved back in 2011, and I reckon he would rock up, right up to when Covid hit.

 

[240volt]

Before he became a three-time premiership ruckman, Bob Philp learned a valuable lesson about winning from the legendary 'Big Bob' McLean.

Philp recalled that after playing in the Magpies senior colts premiership in 1955 he and some teammates tried to get into the clubrooms at Alberton to celebrate with the seniors.

“They had the show (at Alberton Oval) – we’d won the premiership, the B grade won the premiership and the A grade won the premiership,” Philp remembered.

The lads were met at the door by Bob McLean – who forged his name as both an intimidating ruckman and administrator for the Magpies.

However, the next year, after losing the senior colts premiership, Philp encountered a very different reception from McLean when he and his teammates again tried to join the senior celebrations.

“‘If you don’t win, you can’t come in’,” he remembered with a smile.

The importance of winning while representing Port Adelaide was influential in Philp’s career with the Magpies as he went on the play starring roles in the club’s 1962, ’63 and ’65 premiership sides.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Vale Bob. A literal giant of the footy club on and off the field and a great, very popular bloke.

That is sad news. I had the pleasure of meeting Philpy once a few years back now, a big man with a big personality who told funny stories of the good old days. Vale Bob.