The AFL world is in mourning after the death of Robert Walls — a triple premiership Carlton player, premiership coach, Australian Football Hall of Fame member and one of the strongest, most respected footy voices the game has ever seen.
The Herald Sun reported that Walls, who had been battling a rare and aggressive blood cancer, died on Thursday morning. He was surrounded by family, as well as a doctor, after opting not to proceed with another round of chemotherapy.
He was 74.
A rangy forward, Walls played 218 games for Carlton, winning three flags (1968, 1970 and 1972) before finishing his playing career at Fitzroy with 41 matches.
He moved straight into coaching, first taking charge of Fitzroy in 1981 for four seasons before returning to Carlton, where he led the Blues to the 1987 premiership. He then coached the Brisbane Bears from 1991 to 1995 before a two-season stint at Richmond.
Walls then quickly and successfully moved into the footy media, quickly gaining a reputation for his considered yet forthright opinions and sharp in-game analysis.
He was a key member of Fox Footy’s long-running program On The Couch during the 2000s, alongside Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy and former Herald Sun chief football writer Mike Sheahan.
Tributes flowed for Walls on social media on Thursday.
MORE TO COME
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