Vale Lou Richards 1923-2017

I saw my first live VFL football match c1943 when my Dad brought myself and younger brother from the Latrobe Valley district of Victoria on a day trip to see a Carlton v. Collingwood match at Princes Park. My lasting impression of the game was 'big blokes' in dark blue jumpers against 'little fellows' in black and white stripes. I don't remember which team won, but from then on I became a
'magpie' supporter, perhaps purely on the basis of sympathy for the apparent 'under-dog' in any contest? On that day, one of the 'little guys' would've been Lou Richards who had joined Collingwood in 1941.

Today's illustration is an original mapping pen and india ink drawing of Lou made by me from a press photo sometime before November 11, 1949 (I know that because it was part of a submission of similar sporting star drawings in the 'hobby' section of a Morwell Flower Show held on that date. The work achieved 'second prize' according to a card accompanying this and the other age-yellowed 183 x 273mm sized original pages in my archive.)

Little did I know then that within 3 years I would be training with Lou and other magpie heroes on the Collingwood ground at Victoria Park as a 'March wannabe' who became captain of the Third 18 in 1954, before moving temporarily to Perth to pursue 'other interests'. But, that's another story.