AFL Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou today said Australian Football Hall of Fame Member Bob Davis was one of the key foundation stones on which the game had built its current position.
Davis, 82, passed away last night after a recent battle with illness, and Mr Demetriou paid tribute to the Geelong great for his six-decade contribution to the game.
“Bob Davis was a wonderful player in his time, whose skills and speed saw him star in two Cat premiership sides, won him a place in the club’s team of the century and earned him a place in the Hall of Fame as one of our on-field greats.
“He coached his beloved club to a premiership in 1963, but perhaps his greatest contribution of all was to take our game into lounge rooms every weekend, as television developed in this country, and forged a powerful bond between our players and our fans.
“With his great mates Lou Richards and Jack Dyer, under the stewardship of Ron Casey, League Teams and World of Sport were a staple diet for generations of football supporters for nearly 30 years and brought our game up close to everyone who wished to be part of it.
“Every person who is now able to forge a career out of discussing and reflecting on our game has the likes of Bob, Lou, Jack and Ron to thank for their trail they have blazed, and Bob’s sense of fun and great love for the game will be sadly missed.
“On behalf of the AFL and our clubs, I wish to pass on our deepest sympathy to Bob’s wife Margaret and his family, and the Geelong Football Club, and to thank them for Bob’s wonderful service to our game.”
Bob Davis (Australian Football Hall of Fame Member, Inaugural inductee 1996)
Played 189 games for Geelong, 1948-58.
Played 13 games for Victoria, kicking 14 goals.
Geelong Best and Fairest 1957.
Geelong premiership 1951-52.
Geelong captain 1955-58.
All Australian 1958.
Geelong Team of the Century (half-forward).
Geelong coach 1956 and 1960-65.
Geelong premiership coach 1963.