Richmond legends continue Christmas luncheon tradition in honour of Tommy HafeyJon Anderson
Herald-Sun
December 06, 2014 TOM Hafey would have loved it, the sight of 60 of his boys together at the London Tavern in Richmond on Friday at an annual Christmas luncheon that he originated on his return from Sydney in 1989.
Before he died in May this year aged 82, Hafey requested that the lunch be kept going, something his wife Maureen and the Richmond Past Players Association ensured took place.
And many of the great names from Hafey’s coaching tenure at the club (1966-76) were there, from his close friends in Kevin Bartlett and Kevin Bartlett to one of the club’s greatest characters in Brian “The Whale” Roberts.
There was even a special guest appearance from Adelaide-based Malcolm Greenslade, who played just two games under Hafey in 1971 when stationed in Victoria for National Service. Then there were the hard men, players such as Neil Balme, Rick McLean and Rob “Bones” McGhie.
For McGhie, and so many others, Hafey was a father figure whose influence spread far wider than just the football field: “He gave so much to us that the least we can do is give something back by keeping his memory going,” said McGhie, 63, who played in Richmond’s 1973-74 premiership sides under Hafey.
“It was a very important thing for Tommy to keep us together and he had an unbelievable contact book. Ask everyone here today, they would all get a phone call from him during the year. He started putting this lunch on for us 25 years ago.”
Rick McLean arrived with his own form of tribute, T-shirts with an image of Hafey across the chest: “I wear one of those T-shirts every morning when working our harness horses. This lunch is about the spirit of Tommy, a larger than life figure for all of us here,” said McLean, 67.
“You ask these blokes how often they think of Tommy Hafey and I guarantee it would be every day. That’s the influence he had on our lives and it’s as if he still around.”
Hafey coached Richmond to four Premierships and 173 wins from 248 games at a remarkable winning percentage of 70 per cent. His overall coaching record which includes stints at Collingwood, Geelong and Sydney boasts a 64 per cent winning record, the equal of anyone to have coached more than 200 AFL games.
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