How cancer devastated footy legend Robert Walls’ family before he chose to end his life when the killer disease struck him once again

Carlton great Robert Walls has been hailed throughout the AFL world and wider Australian community as a generous, humble individual and one of the greats to ever play and coach Australian rules football.

On Thursday, it was announced that the 74-year-old footy great who had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer had chosen to end his life using Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying laws.

Walls has a reputation as a straight talker and someone who took a no-nonsense approach to his footy, and back in 2024, revealed the devastating impact cancer has had on his family. 

In 2006 his wife Erin sadly died from lung cancer, while his sister and his nephew have also suffered from the horrible illness.

But he didn’t want people to feel sorry for him.

‘If I were to die tomorrow, I’d say how fortunate I’ve been,’ the footy great told The Herald Sun.

Footy great Robert Walls revealed back in 2024 how Cancer has devastated his family 

The footy great sadly died on Thursday after he had chosen to end his life under Victoria’s assisted dying laws, following a battle with cancer

‘No ‘woe is me’ at all. My sister’s had cancer, her husband had cancer, their little boy, when he was four had cancer and lost his arm.

‘He’s now 35 or 36 and a strapping big guy. How tough’s that?

‘My wife passed away at 55. Shit, I’m in my 70s, I’ve got nothing to complain about, nothing at all.’

Walls also recounted his first diagnosis, revealing again that he felt lucky to have enjoyed the life that he had.

‘I just thought I’ve had a wonderful life. I’m 73, and Erin passed away 18 years ago.

‘She never saw the grandkids grow up. I’ve got seven grandkids, the oldest is Tara, 19, and the youngest is Daisy, 5, and the others are in between, and I’ve seen them grow up and I want to see more of that.’

Walls enjoyed a decorated career in professional football. He would play 218 games for Carlton between 1967 and 1978 before joining Fitzroy.

During that time, he would score a whopping 444 goals for both Carlton and Fitzroy, with the half-forward hanging up his boots in 1980.

Walls is considered one of the greatest players to have played the sport, winning three premierships as a player

As a coach, Walls would also go on to win a Grand Final with his former side Carlton. He’d enjoy coaching spells also at Fitzroy, Brisbane and Richmond

He’d later go into coaching and would replace Bill Stephen as Fitzroy’s senior coach in 1981 before moving to Carlton five years later.

Spells at Brisbane and Richmond would also follow before he stepped back from coaching, having overseen Victoria’s last-ever non-charity representative game.

‘Robert did it his way and chose to end a fight that had seen him spend more than 250 nights in hospital during the past two years,’ the AFL said in a statement.

‘His son David, speaking on behalf of sister Rebecca and brother Daniel, confirmed the Carlton, Fitzroy and Brisbane great and grandfather to seven had passed away peacefully in his unit overlooking the MCG.

‘Having spent the last couple of weeks tidying up his affairs and catching up with family and close friends, he chose that over more and more hospital visits for treatment.’

Tributes have been pouring in for the humble footy great, with Carlton hailing him as a ‘remarkable person’ and for his ‘extraordinary courage’.

‘He took time to reflect on a life well-lived and was able to share his farewells with the many players, officials and media representatives whom he had met along the way,” the club said.

‘As he said: ‘I’ve had a wonderful life’.’

Walls also stepped into media following the end of his coaching career, working as a columnist for The Age while also working as a pundit for Seven

Walls has been hailed by many as a humble coach who wanted the best for all his players  

One of his great mates, Paul Roos, has also paid a heartfelt tribute to the Carlton great.

During the fledgling years of his career, Roos played under Walls just after the former Carlton star inherited the senior coaching role in the ’80s.

The former Sydney Swans boss revealed that he had been to visit Walls in recent months and lifted the lid on what the pair spoke about, adding that he was ‘thankful’ to have been able to say goodbye to his good friend.

‘I’m really grateful,’ Roos told ABC’s AFL Daily on Thursday evening.

‘I jumped on a plane and came back to see Robert specifically, and I’m forever grateful I got to spend a couple of hours with him. We spoke about footy, life, he gave me some advice and I made sure that he knew what a legacy he had left and thanked him for all that he’d done.

‘It was an amazing conversation and one that I think that not many people have the chance to do. He was very pragmatic and he understood what he was doing so we spoke about all those sorts of things.

‘But I’m grateful to be able to do that.

‘I sat in the car and wrote some notes down in my iPhone – it was a pretty special moment.’

Walls (pictured top with fellow Carlton greats Jon Dorotich, left, Peter Bosustow, middle, and Stephan Kernehan, right) is an icon for the Blues

Walls (right, pictured with matthew Kreuzer) was hailed by Paul Roos for his work in helping the former Sydney boss develop his skills in the fledgling years of his time at Fitzroy

Roos added that he wanted to ensure the two-time Carlton leading goalkicker understood the impact that he had on many young players like himself during his coaching journey as well as the incredible legacy he was leaving behind.

‘But one of the other things that I wanted to be clear with him [about] was whether he understood the legacy that he had left.

‘He said: “I think I do.” He was an amazing person in an era when Fitzroy was really struggling, and we obviously got to a certain level… but he was a significant person in all of our lives – those young players, who came to Fitzroy.

‘I just wanted to be really clear with him on how important he was to so many people.’

Opening up on what it was like to play under Roos, an Australian Football Hall of Famer, Roos described him as a ‘tough’ player and an ‘innovative coach’, something which he appreciated as a youngster rising through the ranks.

‘He was tough and he was hard… My son last night asked me over dinner last night what were the main things he taught you? I said: “Feedback”.

‘The feedback that he gave me I knew came from his heart because he wanted me to get better. This morning I was thinking the discipline and hard work – we trained really hard. We had a really disciplined group of players and we got feedback from my coach.

‘That’s who he was, he was very pragmatic, matter of fact and I really appreciated that.’

Roos (pictured) hailed Walls and said he wanted to make sure he knew how much of a huge legacy the Carlton great had left, after meeting with Walls in recent months

Walls enjoyed a decorated career in professional football. He would play 218 games for Carlton between 1967 and 1978 before joining Fitzroy. During that time, he would score a whopping 444 goals for both Carlton and Fitzroy, with the half-forward hanging up his boots in 1980

Stephen Kernahan echoed those comments, adding that he pushed the key forward to his potential.

‘I’d do anything for him. He was a hard man, but I loved that hardness in him,’ Kernahan said.

‘He was also ahead of his time, a real visionary.

‘Wallsy was a great mentor and friend to me and I’m shattered I’m not going to see him again.’

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