AFL Tasmania is deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Sproule, Inductee #87 and Icon in the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame. A ruggedly tough but supremely skilled player, Sproule carved out a successful career in Victoria as a player for nearly ten years, before returning to his native state as a coach, where his reputation as one of the finest football brains ever produced in Tasmania only grew.
His first senior football came with the Hobart Football Club came in 1962 when he was 17, and during a time of great success for the club he won premierships in 1963 and 1966. At 22 he crossed the Bass Strait to join Essendon and debuted in the Bombers’ opening match of 1968 against Hawthorn.
After 60 games and 60 goals for the Bombers he left to join Richmond in 1972, becoming an indispensable member of the strong Tigers side of the early 1970s. His incredible ability to find the football and uncanny goal sense made him a huge asset to the already extremely talented Tigers midfield, and he was part of their back-to-back premierships in 1973 and 1974. The fact that he was named amongst his team’s best players in both grand finals is a testament to his ability to perform on the big stage.
After 86 games in four seasons with Richmond, Sproule returned home to Tasmania in 1976 to take on the captain-coach position with Sandy Bay. Under him the club won a hat-trick of premierships between 1976-78, with Sproule retiring as a player during the third of those seasons and stepping down as coach at the end of it. He then returned to his roots in 1980, taking charge of his original side Hobart and lifting them from back-to-back wooden spoons in the two years prior to their first premiership since 1973. Sproule went on to coach Richmond for a season in 1985 before returning once again to Tasmania.
He maintained a strong passion and involvement with the game, most notably in his role helping bring AFL football to Tasmania as a part of the AFL Task Force and was a major figure in the redevelopment of York Park. However, it is Sproule’s indelible contribution to the game of football on the field that will be remembered most fondly by everyone associated with the game.
Tasmanian football has lost a giant of the game, the thoughts of all at AFL Tasmania are with Paul’s loved ones at this difficult time.
You can read more about Paul’s outstanding career here.