Robert Walls
Robert Walls | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Robert Walls | ||
Nickname(s) | Wallsy[1] | ||
Date of birth | 21 July 1950 | ||
Place of birth | Dunolly, Victoria | ||
Original team(s) | Coburg (VAFA) | ||
Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
Weight | 89 kg (196 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Centre half-forward | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1967–1978 | Carlton | 218 (367) | |
1978–1980 | Fitzroy | 41 (77) | |
Total | 259 (444) | ||
Representative team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
Victoria | 4 (?) | ||
Coaching career3 | |||
Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
1981–1985 | Fitzroy | 115 | (60–54–1)|
1986–1989 | Carlton | 84 (55–29–0) | |
1991–1995 | Brisbane Bears | 109 | (30–78–1)|
1996–1997 | Richmond | 39 (17–22–0) | |
1999 | Victoria | 1 (1–0–0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1980. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1997. | |||
Career highlights | |||
Playing
Coaching
| |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Robert Walls (born 21 July 1950) is a former
Playing career
Carlton
Walls grew up in
Fitzroy
Walls made his
Coaching career
Fitzroy
After he retired as a player, Walls replaced Bill Stephen as senior coach of the Fitzroy in 1981.[7][8] Walls first task was a major clean-out of older players who were clearly "past it" after the club's disappointing 1980 season, Walls lifted the Lions to their best era since winning a premiership in 1944.[9] Walls would coach Fitzroy Football Club from 1981 to 1985 for 115 games (60 wins – 54 losses – 1 draw).[10]
They improved from last in 1980 to fifth at the end of the home-and-away season in 1981, securing their finals berth with an upset win over
1984, with injuries plaguing the club and its lack of depth apparent, was initially disappointing but a remarkable recovery saw them enter the five after the final round only to be crushed by Collingwood.[14] In 1985, the Lions' financial crisis emerged to threaten their future and this, along with more injuries, caused them to drop to ninth with only seven wins and two losses to last-placed St Kilda.[15] After this, Walls moved to his former club Carlton in a swap with David Parkin in a jointly announced agreement between Fitzroy Football Club and Carlton Football Club to swap senior coaches.[16] Walls was then replaced by David Parkin as Fitzroy Football Club senior coach.[17]
Carlton
Walls became senior coach of Carlton in 1986, when he replaced
The Blues under Walls made the finals again in 1988 but by mid-1989 they were struggling when Carlton under Walls lost eight of their first ten games. Walls was sacked as Carlton Football Club senior coach after the team lost a home match to the lowly Brisbane Bears in Round 10, 1989.[22][23][24][25] Walls was then replaced by Alex Jesaulenko as caretaker senior coach of Carlton for the rest of the 1989 season, who was eventually appointed full-time senior coach of Carlton.[26][27] Walls ended his tenure as coach of Carlton Football Club with 84 games (55 wins – 29 losses – 0 draws).
Brisbane Bears
Walls became the senior coach of the Brisbane Bears from 1991 to 1995.[28] Walls replaced Norm Dare as senior coach of the Brisbane Bears.[29][30] It took until the early 2000s for Walls's style of coaching to surface as a method that had become outdated, and criticised in the football and wider community.[31] Walls would coach Brisbane Bears for 109 games (30 wins – 78 losses – 1 draw).[10]
It was revealed in the video "Passion To Play" that in Walls first year as Bears coach in 1991, as disciplinary action Walls authorised his players to don boxing gloves and beat 21-year-old teammate Shane Strempel repetitively in the head[32] until he was severely bashed and bloodied after which Strempel quit playing football. Walls' coaching style was criticised about the incident by Kevin Sheedy who has several times questioned his credibility as a football coach.[33]
In his last season, 1995, he had been told after Round 15 that with 4 wins and 11 losses for the season, he would not be re-appointed for 1996. But a major turning point in the season for the Bears soon came. In Round 16, against
From there, the Bears continued their run and won 6 of their next 7 games. They found themselves in eighth position, and
Richmond
The Richmond Football Club appointed Walls as senior coach for the 1996 season, when he replaced John Northey.[36] In the 1996 season, Richmond under Walls just missed out of the finals where they finished in ninth place with eleven wins and eleven losses. However during the 1997 season, Richmond under Walls struggled and Walls was sacked after a 137-point defeat by the eventual premiers, the Adelaide Crows, in Round 17, 1997.[37] Richmond under Walls also sat 15th (second-last) on the ladder with six wins and eleven losses. Not completing two full seasons of coaching Richmond Football Club, his record at the club stands as 39 games ( 17 wins – 22 losses – 0 draws). Walls was then replaced by assistant coach Jeff Gieschen as caretaker senior coach for the rest of the 1997 season, who was eventually appointed as full-time senior coach of the Richmond Football Club.[38]
Victoria State Representative Side
Walls returned for one last coaching role, in 1999 he coached Victoria in the state's last ever State Representative game. AFL administrators abandoned state of origin of football as the competition had become a national game with five of the main states fielding teams in the competition, and the risk of injury to players in state representative games became too risky for clubs to warrant their support as well.
Post-football career
Media
At the end of his coaching career, Walls was immediately in demand as a football commentator. He became a columnist for The Age in Melbourne (a role he continues to fill), and joined the Seven Network providing special comments during AFL matches. Later he replaced Malcolm Blight on the football discussion show Talking Footy.
When Seven lost the broadcast rights for AFL matches at the end of 2001, Walls was recruited by both
In 2005, Walls was involved in a feud with
Although no longer a television commentator, Walls continued as the "Special Comments Man" for Sports radio station
In 2018, he tipped the West Coast Eagles to win the "wooden spoon", despite still having many quality players. The Eagles went on to win their fourth flag, defeating Collingwood by five points in the Grand Final.[42]
In 2019 Wall's property in Hepburn Springs was impacted by a bushfire. [43] In the aftermath he supported the community by sharing his skills and experience with the local football club. [44]
Honours
In 2006, Walls was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. His wife Erin, suffering from lung cancer, attended the dinner in one of her last public appearances before passing away on 9 July 2006.[45] With Erin, Walls had three children: Rebecca, Daniel and David. David went on to represent Norwood in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), but his career was affected by three knee reconstructions.[45]
Walls was inducted into the Carlton Football Club Hall of Fame in 1990, and was elevated to Legend status in 2011.[46]
References
- ^ "Former greats find that coaching grates". The Age. Melbourne.
- ^ a b Walls, Robert (14 April 2007). "Biffs, bumps and Bombers". The Age.
- ^ "Robert Walls". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "ROBERT WALLS". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Robert Walls". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "ROBERT WALLS". Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "From the foot of the table to the Final Five: Fitzroy's exhilarating 1981 season". 8 July 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ "Bill Stephen was Fitzroy through and through". 25 August 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "From the foot of the table to the Final Five: Fitzroy's exhilarating 1981 season". 8 July 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Coaches throughout history". 18 September 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "HISTORY LESSON – WALLS COACHING LEGACY BEYOND WINS AND LOSSES". 2 August 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "A coaches story". 10 July 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "So close to the Holy Grail: A personal reflection on Fitzroy Football Club's 1983 season". 26 December 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Almanac Football History: Fitzroy's Topsy Turvy 1984". 28 December 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Revising the Doom and Gloom Historiography: Fitzroy Football Club's last golden era 1978-1986". 15 November 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Robert Walls". Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Parkin sees both sides". 17 September 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Robert Walls". Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Parkin sees both sides". 17 September 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "HISTORY LESSON – WALLS COACHING LEGACY BEYOND WINS AND LOSSES". 2 August 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Robert Walls". Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "How the infamous Battle of Britain ultimately led to Robert Walls' demise as Carlton coach". 8 August 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ Connolly, Rohan (28 May 2015). "Back to the Walls: a familiar tale of turmoil for Carlton". The Age. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015.
- ^ "SACKED Robert Walls tells JON RALPH and GLENN McFARLANE about the meeting that ended his time at Carlton". 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Carlton have a long history of sacking coaches in dramatic circumstances". 26 May 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "The events of '89 repeat at the Blues". 29 May 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL CLUBS" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "A coaches story". 10 July 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Treasured memories of Bear years". 13 July 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Norm Dare". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "The World Today Archive - Ugly incident in Australian rules not forgotten". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ "Lateline - 20/4/2001: AFL takes a beating . Australian Broadcasting Corp". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 November 2004.
- ^ "Sheedy attacks Walls' credibility". Herald Sun. 11 March 2007.
- ^ "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL CLUBS" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL CLUBS" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL CLUBS" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "How the infamous Battle of Britain ultimately led to Robert Walls' demise as Carlton coach". 8 August 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "Whatever happened to Jeff Gieschen?". 6 April 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- Sydney Morning Herald. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ Waterworth, Ben (1 October 2018). "AFL Grand Final 2018: Robert Walls calls Eagles fans 'gullible' in incredible parting shot". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- ^ "Lightning strike at home of AFL great Robert Walls sparks bushfire in Victoria's north". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ "Hepburn Burras F.N.C." Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ a b Walls, Robert (18 July 2006). "Erin, a football wife extraordinaire". The Age.
- ^ Coutts, Ian, ed. (2012), Inside Carlton, Carlton North, Victoria: Carlton Football Club, p. 79