Bob Rose

Robert Arthur Rose (7 August 1928 – 7 July 2003) was an Australian rules footballer and coach in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to play for Collingwood. With 282 games coached, Rose is fourth on the all-time AFL/VFL list of most games coached without a premiership, behind Rodney Eade, Ross Lyon (354) and John Northey (315).

Playing career Recruited from country club Nyah West, Rose debuted in 1946. He was a genuine all-round sportsman, who was looking down the path of a professional boxing career, but decided to play the game of football. Rose was courageous in the midfield, and was very skilful on both sides. His honours included four best and fairest awards, leading goalkicker in a premiership season, and All-Australian representative. However, Rose never won the Brownlow Medal, despite being up in the mix on several occasions, his highest finish a runner-up placing in 1953. Rose also, as an icon of the club, never was given the role as captain due to the strong leaders playing for the Pies.

Rose played in 3 grand finals (1952, 1953 and 1955) for one premiership in 1953. Injuries had got the better of him by the latter stages of his league career, and Rose retired in 1955 after 152 games and 214 goals, with the losing 1955 grand final being his last match.

Rose was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He was selected as the centre in Collingwood's Team of the Century, and the AFL Players Association's annual award for Most Courageous Player, struck in 1991, is named in Rose's honour.

Coaching career

Wangaratta Rovers (1956–1962) In 1956, Rose was appointed captain-coach of Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens & Murray Football League; he had moved to Wangaratta to open a sporting goods store. Rose led the Rovers to premierships in 1958 and 1960, finishing runners-up in 1959 and 1962. Rose was the league's leading goalkicker in 1960, and the Morris Medal winner in 1958 and 1960.

Return to Collingwood (1964–1971) Rose returned to the VFL in a coaching capacity, taking over from Phonse Kyne in 1964 as Collingwood senior coach. He led the side to the grand final in 1964, 1966 and 1970, losing each time by a handful of points. He continued to coach Collingwood until 1971 (apart from one game in 1967 when Neil Mann, who later became his successor as senior coach, took the reins).

Switch to Footscray (1972–1975) Rose went to coach the Footscray Football Club as senior coach between 1972 and 1975.

A Collingwood homecoming (1985–1986) Rose returned for a second and final stint as senior coach of Collingwood from 1985 to 1986, where he replaced John Cahill at the end of the 1984 season.