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. 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.