Everyone loved him: Collingwood legend Lou Richards mourned funeral Melbourne

Members of the public, politicians, footballing greats, friends and family have turned out in force to farewell Aussie Rules legend Lou Richards at a state funeral.

A former Collingwood premiership captain and legendary media personality, the 94-year-old passed away peacefully at his nursing home in Melbourne last Monday.

But it wasn’t just on the field where Richards built his legacy. In retirement he was a household name to millions of Australians with his move into TV and print media.

Hundreds gathered in St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne on Wednesday, while many more watched on in nearby Federation Square to remember the player, performer and publican, who touched the lives of so many.

Speaking first Lou’s eldest daughter Nicole Morrison said her father would have been humbled by the public response to his death.

‘I did not realise the enormity of Lou’s popularity or the way he touched so many lives in so many ways,’ Mrs Morrison told the packed church.

‘Lou was the most loyal person I have ever known. If you were on team Lou or Lou’s friend, then you had his undying loyalty.

‘He would be humbled by this response. But only for a short time.’

Ned Morrison remembered the moment they realised their grandfather was famous.

‘Whilst sitting on grandpa’s lap, we watched as “Louie the Lip” appeared on screen,’ Mr Morrison said.

‘This was most troubling for Amy. How could he be sitting next to her and on TV at  the same time?

He also told of the embarrassment his older sister Lucy felt when a swarm of fanfare would surround her grandfather whenever he would pick her up from school.

‘The only problem for Lucy was her realisation that her grandpa was more appealing to teenage boys at school than she was,’ Mr Morrison joked.

Growing up in the shadows of Collingwood’s home ground Victoria Park, Lou’s family had a strong connection to the club, with his brother, grandfather and two uncles all pulling on the black and white guernsey.

After hangin up the boots in 1955, he fronted the program World of Sport, where his witty banter with co-hosts Jack Dyer and Bob Davis earned him the nickname ‘Louie the lip’.

Richards was elected into the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996, and into Collingwood’s club Hall of Fame eight years later in 2004.

The club erected a statue of Richards outside their Olympic Park training facility in Melbourne in 2014.

‘I never thought I’d be so famous,’ the always humble Richards said.

Source: Collingwood legend Lou Richards mourned funeral Melbourne | Daily Mail Online