Collingwood Football Club gathers
in unity along with the
football (
AFL) world, to honour the
Collingwood champion Bob 'Bobby' Rose.
Married to wife Elsie, Rob cared and nurtured his quadriplegic son Robert who was terrbily injured in a car accident.
Unfortunately, Bob Rose fell victim to cancer in 2003 and passed away a few months later.
His charisma, and air about him, makes him a memorable football player, and more importantly, man. "Good Old Collingwood Forever" echoed around those in the Melbourne Town Hall, which was the place to honour the club's fallen hero. 1500 mourners on this day, both AFL legends and close friends of Bob paid their respects on this day.
Bob Rose has played 152 games for Collingwood between 1946 and 1955.
Bob Rose retired prematurely at 27. His coaching days could be considered unlucky as he lost 3 premierships - 1964, 1966, and 1970 premierships. He won the club's Best and Fairest, the Copeland Trophy, in 1949 and 1951-53. As a player he won a premiership in 1953 but despite coaching Collingwood in three grand finals he failed to win one as a coach.
Club greats commended Rose's life, "one of the greatest, if not the greatest" player to ever wear the black and white uniform.
In 1997 Bob Rose was awarded a place in Collingwood's team of the century, playing in the centre.
News of his death shocked the football world, and was also honoured in the game Collingwood vs. Fremantle in 2003.