Danny Frawley ??

[ledge]

Hearing bad news , not confirmed yet but god I hope it’s not true , can anyone confirm?

[bornadog]

Car Crash?

[Axe Man]

Terrible news. Hasn't been confirmed yet but seems like it is almost certainly Danny Frawley. RIP Spud

AFL figure believed dead in car crash at Millbrook (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/man-killed-in-car-crash-in-millbrook-near-ballarat/news-story/b0679ba9c3a1593b8eaf60723e45554b)

An AFL figure is believed dead after his car ploughed into a tree at Millbrook, near Ballarat. The man was alone in the car and died at the scene.

An AFL figure is believed dead in a single-vehicle smash west of Melbourne.

The driver died at the scene from injuries suffered when his vehicle hit a tree at Millbrook, near Gordon which is 20km east of Ballarat, at 1.30pm.

The accident scene is close to the corner of Old Melbourne and Ryans roads.

The driver is yet to be formally identified.

There was no one else in the car.

Police investigators are at the scene of the fatality.

Old Melbourne Rd is closed in both directions, with a fire truck and police vehicles blocking traffic from the crash scene.

The vehicle has come to rest in a ditch next to a large tree and has a blue tarpaulin covering the front of it, which is badly damaged.

A tow company has arrived at the scene but police cannot say when the vehicle will be moved.

Officers will speak to media shortly.

[KT31]

Channel ten news confirming it's an AFL identity

[ledge]

Suffered depression for many years.

[bulldogtragic]

People have updated his Wikipedia page already? Get a life you heartless wonders.

Apparently 3AW reporting it, but I didn't hear it.

[Flamethrower]

Confirmed by channel 7 - shattered. Vale Danny.

[bulldogtragic]

Ch7 officially announcing it. Even have a prepared video piece.

[whythelongface]

Sad to hear. RIP Danny.

[bornadog]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EEAgGSGVUAUHL34?format=jpg&name=medium

[Doggy]

Shattered!

[KT31]

Sad news, great character of the game.

[GVGjr]

Very sad news to hear about losing Danny Frawley,

He exhibited many great qualities but the one that stood was his caring approach with sacked coaches, he made every effort to reach out and offer support

He won't be forgotten and condolences to his family and many friends

[comrade]

Very sad, thoughts go out to his famiy.

[ledge]

The black dog strikes again :-(

[AshMac]

Terrible news. RIP

[Remi Moses]

Terribly tragic news
R.i.p spud

[DOG GOD]

Very sad news...terrible

[Scraggers]

The black dog strikes again :-(

Why do you say that? Not having a go, just unsure how you got to there. It was his birthday yesterday. He could have been tired, hungover, playing on his phone ??

[GVGjr]

We need to make sure comments respect his family and friends. Lets leave the speculating to others

[ratsmac]

Terrible tragic news. I always have enjoyed Danny on TV and radio. The bloke wore his heart on his sleeve. So sad and I'm sure he'll be very sorely missed.

[Eastdog]

Very sad news. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

[angelopetraglia]

Tragic. So sad.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Massive shock.

Really liked him - such a terrible tragedy.

[comrade]

No one knows the full details so no point speculating.

[ledge]

Why do you say that? Not having a go, just unsure how you got to there. It was his birthday yesterday. He could have been tired, hungover, playing on his phone ??

A few things , they keep mentioning he had had depression and after one story they put up the lifeline ph number.

I was actually born the same year as him and it shocks me badly.
Such a lovable guy a true football lover and larrikin.
Fox footy presenter struggling to hold back the tears, it’s just horrid to be honest.

[Topdog]

A few things , they keep mentioning he had had depression and after one story they put up the lifeline ph number.

I was actually born the same year as him and it shocks me badly.
Such a lovable guy a true football lover and larrikin.
Fox footy presenter struggling to hold back the tears, it’s just horrid to be honest.

Unless there was a note in his car not event he police would know yet surely.

As you say though terribly sad news. RIP Danny

[bulldogtragic]

Later in life I liked he gave his voice to mental illness. But my enduring memory of Danny was his son like love for Teddy Whitten that last real State of Origin, in the rooms and either side of the lap of honour. If you didn’t know he wasn’t a Whitten, you’d think he was another son of Teddy’s.

From the spectrum of complete compassion & devotion for a loved sick man, to the dark times of mental illness. His time with us all was a lot more than just a footballer or simply a larrikin. There’s a lot of grey between the black & white (& red) he showed us.

[kruder]

The age article confirms the black dog responsible. Bloody awful.

[Twodogs]

Why do you say that? Not having a go, just unsure how you got to there. It was his birthday yesterday. He could have been tired, hungover, playing on his phone ??

"Single Car accident" tends to be code for someone running it off the road when it's a bloke of a certain age. It's much the same as musicians who die suddenly in the middle ages, it is usually either suicide or heart related problems relating from overuse of stimulants in their younger days.


I can still remember how St Kilda lifting for Danny's last game at Whitten oval in 1995. We were finals bound and they were coming to the end of another *meh* season finishing in third last spot but it was Spud's last game and there was nothing we could do as they touched us up by 8 goals

[bulldogtragic]

I was chatting to a stranger the other day. Served multiple tours in Afghanistan. He told me three of his ‘brothers’ took their own lives this year already, one posting his final note on Facebook but obviously no answer when he frantically called him.

Maybe with such a high profile example, this public health crisis might be more seriously handled. Such a shame.

[westdog54]

I'm going to cheat and re-use my Facebook post, but:

I was at Danny Frawley's 240th and last game at the Western Oval in 1995. Footscray were beaten badly but as no trip to the Western Oval was complete in those days without disregarding the PA warnings and running onto the ground at the final siren, I had a pretty good view as Spud was chaired off, flowers in hand, tearfully waving goodbye to the faithful.

Earlier that year, the football world saw Spud openly weeping as one of his great friends and mentors, EJ Whitten, took his final lap around the MCG.

In retirement, nothing could shake his love of the game and his desire to contribute. After his stint at coaching Richmond, he became a loved and respected media commentator.

Beyond that, his work with the AFL Coaches Association to look after the mental health of coaches, both current and moved on, was groundbreaking in the AFL industry.

His voice will forever be an integral part of my two favourite games of AFL football. Working for MMM, he was practically cheering for the Bulldogs as they beat GWS in the 2016 prelim final, then again a week later at the MCG. When he finally managed to stop laughing at Brian Taylor's F-Bomb following Tom Boyd's goal, the praise he heaped on Dale Morris will forever ring in my ears.

I'm beyond sad today. Danny Frawley will be irreplaceable.

[westdog54]

One of my favourite bits from Frawley's work with the MMM Rub, with a cameo by everybody's favourite AFL journo.


https://youtu.be/--iwXWbXLtY

[ledge]

Unless there was a note in his car not event he police would know yet surely.

As you say though terribly sad news. RIP Danny

Apparently there was.

[Topdog]

Apparently there was.

Yeah hearing the same. Very sad

[bornadog]

Yeah hearing the same. Very sad

Unless you have had a mental illness, or know someone in that position, it is very hard to understand what the person is going through.

Poor bloke, so sad, so young. RIP

[Mofra]

Really sad news. Spud did a lot of work with men's health behind the scenes.

[Twodogs]

Unless you have had a mental illness, or know someone in that position, it is very hard to understand what the person is going through.

Poor bloke, so sad, so young. RIP

It's like your brain has turned against you. And then when it comes time to try and fix your head, guess what you have to rely upon?

It's a hell of a catch, that catch 22....

[westdog54]

A very enjoyable to read piece from nobody's favourite journo:

BARRETT: For the love of Spud, let the laughter live on forever - http://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-09-10/barrett-for-the-love-of-spud-let-the-laughter-live-on-forever

IT'S EARLY 2013, the Essendon drugs story is exploding, and a heavily-hyped interview with the club's fitness boss Dean Robinson is airing.

About 15 minutes in, the phone starts pinging.

Danny Frawley is texting.

A moment probably initially unnoticed by most viewers was already a weird obsession, and after wading through the always apparent spelling mistakes and jumbled sentences of his texts, it was clear he had found his media material for the next week.

The phone then rings. "What about Darce? It's not about you, Darce! He's gone down the me, me, me, me, me path! Say that again … hahahahahaha!! And what about the mudflap at the back of his head?" Frawley blurts.

Frawley was transfixed equally with the big issues of Luke Darcy's interviewing technique and the miniature mullet on his head.

The following Saturday on Triple M, Frawley smashed Darcy. It forever entrenched the, "Say that again," skits into the football media landscape, and also provided an insight into Frawley's occasional ways of dealing with the pressures of life.

Taking oneself too seriously was a serious crime in his world, and while Darcy actually hadn't, he was to learn through Frawley that in his interview with Robinson he at least left himself open to that accusation.

Frawley was head of the AFL Coaches Association at the time and was highly and obviously stressed. Of all the jobs in football in that controversial period, his was at least equal to the toughest, most volatile and most conflicted.

Essendon coaches felt they weren't being supported enough by their own association, and the coaches at seemingly every other club felt the Bombers people didn't deserve any form of backing.

The AFL had its own strategies, the media was breaking explosive details on a daily basis, the storyline, the narrative and the clashing motives were all out of control and Frawley was stuck somewhere in the middle of all of it.

Spud brought people together, and even when not feeling great about himself, made people feel better about themselves.

Frawley obviously had nothing to do with whatever went on at Essendon and he had his own strong view of events. He was no doubt pushed by some of the people he represented to do and say things that placed him in many situations he simply could not win.

The entire period was harrowing for him and ultimately led to his exit from the coaches' role.

As his own family, friends and the entire football community absorb the trauma of his death on Monday, it is pertinent to reflect on all of Frawley's actions, but particularly during the Essendon drugs saga.

Many people were beneficiaries of Frawley-arranged support even long after his parting with the coaches association, and on occasions after he had heated conflict with certain individuals.

As always, he placed the needs of others ahead of his own.


The Frawley I knew was as warm a person I have met. A funny, engaging, loving, often childish and complex person. A man devoted to his family and those closest in his life, a man who cared not how the laugh came, but as long as there was a laugh.

And it is the laugh that matters now.

It's 11.30am on any given Saturday from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s at either the MCG or now-Marvel Stadium.

He was as funny, Spud, as he was emotionally raw, and people were drawn to him because of that combination. He loved people, wanted to be loved by people, wanted people to laugh, if not with him, then at him.

The Triple M team would assemble to prepare for two hours of talk before that afternoon's game. Other media outlets would be focused on the news events, but all Frawley cared for at this moment was for a thought bubble, or even better, physical audio evidence of someone in media or football doing something they would have been better off not doing.

Frawley would have spent the week plotting for someone's downfall, and he always had an extra stupid look on his face on the days when his material focused on one of James Brayshaw, Garry Lyon, Brian Taylor, Jason Dunstall or myself.

Some days, he would have pages of messily handwritten notes in front him, in a usually futile pre-show attempt to line up his words with the regularly too-excited brain that took over when the mics were turned on.

In fact, the days he had notes nearly always ended up badly for him. We'd seize a moment which he'd inevitably present us with and turn the spotlight back on him.

That was Spud's ultimate media genius, his preparedness to be the fall guy. His segments always worked, even when they didn't.

For our style of show, the many days he butchered his delivery and execution made for better radio.

"My brand is flying," he'd say weekly.

His preparation for each program always involved him being a double agent with at least one of us. Semi-regularly, he would send a text to me that was meant for Brayshaw, or vice versa, and in some group texts, he would often reply to all with words and plans that were clearly not meant for all.

While you would get used to it and even come to expect it on a weekly basis, it was never easy knowing who would be the focus of his carry-on.

In a media sense, Spud was intimidated by his longtime and great mate Lyon, which was hilarious to witness weekly.

One Saturday, though, he plucked the courage to "go" him. The Saturday Herald Sun sports section had a photo of Gaz, who was part of the Demons' group seeking a new coach, strolling through parkland in typically trendy get-up.

Spud went to town. He critiqued the manner in which Wolf's collar was "overlapping the knit", was fascinated with the walking style, the manner in which the mobile phone was being held, commented on the cost of the pants and boots, and the brand of sunglasses.

"The sheriff strides into town, gun ready in the holster," he said. It was childish, ridiculous radio, but I can't ever recall laughing harder. After he had somehow dragged five minutes out of it, Spud finished with something like this: "So tell me Wolf, when you look at that photo sitting there, do you look at it and do you say to yourself, 'Yeah, yeah, when I left the house that day, gee, I nailed that look'?"

Brayshaw was also generally a no-go zone for Spud as he would regularly subtly threaten him with verbal retribution if he focused on him too often or too long.

Which meant I was always there as his break-in-emergency option. He had a lot of emergencies.

Not one program would pass without references to four eyes or Mr Peabody or Wok Fry.

"News breaker, ha, you couldn't break a plate! ... I'll cave your head in, Warrior ... I'll use your head as a speedball ... Mate, 300 billion Chinese don't give a stuff ... Fair dinkum, you could put a glass eye to sleep."

I suggested to him one day that he should actually bring a glass eye in as a prop, not thinking he would.

The next Saturday, when I was again talking about something that bored him, he started bouncing the glass eye on the bench, slowing each bounce down until it stopped.

The glass eye became an in-house gag, too. Whenever one of our pre-match interview subjects was giving us nothing, the glass eye would, simply for our own in-house amusement, be bounced quietly enough for it not to be broadcast.

Out of nowhere one day, he used and immediately embraced the "Headwobbler" concept. The word is now as much a part of the AFL vernacular as contested possession. I think he twice awarded me Headwobbler Of The Year, a prize which came with him blowing into a little yellow, plastic kids' trumpet and the presentation of a neck brace.

On his drive home from seemingly every game, he would ring for a debrief. "Sorry mate, I had to throw you under the bus again, I had nothing else."

The bond Spud created on that show was unique in media and it forged and strengthened lifelong friendships.

He could create uneasy, awkward, unnecessary, stupid and childish moments, but as a starting point, his intent was in the right place and he always had your back.

His preparedness, even want, to be the fall guy in each segment was unique in an industry which has always taken itself way too seriously, and he would target those he felt were precious.

He'd ring nearly every day, Spud, sometimes two or three times.

If he was on one of his long drives, the chat would often bounce from life itself to a tip in the third at Wodonga ("it'll just win", though it and every other tip I can remember never did), to Anita and Chelsea and Danielle and Keeley, to the latest Headwobbler, to media, and only occasionally footy.

But the best and most common chats were the childish ones, where he'd wind himself up into one of his frenzies and just unload with some meaningless drivel that would lead to a conversation that would have embarrassed both of us if other ears had been on it.

He was as funny, Spud, as he was emotionally raw, and people were drawn to him because of that combination. He loved people, wanted to be loved by people, wanted people to laugh if not with him then at him.

Spud brought people together, and even when not feeling great about himself, made people feel better about themselves.

The laugh he so often created will always be around.

[comrade]

I was listening to some old Rub highlights. I’m not a Lyon fan and I hate Barrett but you could tell they all loved Spud and he loved working with them.

[bulldogtragic]

News.com.au

AFL legends Garry Lyon and Jason Dunstall have broken their silences on the devastating loss of their great friend Danny Frawley.

The 240-game St Kilda legend and former Richmond coach died at the scene of the one-vehicle crash on Monday, one day after his 56th birthday.

The loss has been felt deeply across the AFL world but few felt the loss as deeply as Lyon and Dunstall.

During a touching and emotional tribute from the AFL360 and On The Couch teams on Monday night, Dunstall and Lyon were notably absent.

AFL360 host Gerard Whateley said Lyon and Dunstall were unable to make an appearance on TV with the pain too raw on Monday, having been arguably his closest two on-air partners.

Following his incredible football playing and coaching careers, Frawley was known as an AFL commentator and host on television and radio, including Fox Footy’s Bounce, of which he hosted with Dunstall for more than 13 seasons and more than 350 games.

Lyon worked with Frawley, Brian Taylor, James Brayshaw and Damian Barrett on Triple M’s Saturday Rub team.

But in recent years, Lyon and Frawley moved to SEN to play key roles in the station’s football coverage.

The four surviving originals of The Saturday Rub will come together in a radio event simulcast across both stations to pay tribute to Frawley on Saturday at midday.

But Lyon and Dunstall sat down with AFL360 on Thursday to share their sadness at their great friend’s passing.

Asked how they’re going after Frawley’s death, Lyon’s grief was clear.

“You can’t answer that question, because there’s no right answer,” he said. “Everyone is dealing with the same thing and the pain and how’re you going? I’m not going great but compared to Anita and the girls, they’re the priority here, and the rest of us fall into line. It’s bloody horrible.”

Having heard the emotional tributes which have been flooding out throughout the week, Lyon said Frawley “wanted to be loved” and the Melbourne great wished his friend had heard how much affection fans, players and colleagues from across the Australian sporting community had for him.

Dunstall said he was left with unanswerable questions in the wake of Frawley’s death.

“It’s hard to get your head around,” he began. “It’s an illness I’ll never every understand. I hate its guts but I can’t get a handle on it. It just seems so senseless and you’re just left with this giant void. It doesn’t matter how devastated we are, there are family members who are 1000 times worse off and I can’t comprehend that.”

Dunstall said he had exchanged texts with Frawley’s wife Anita but said he wouldn’t be able to talk if he got on the phone to speak with her.

“It’s funny, he had some time off I don’t know how many years ago now, and that blindsided me, because I worked with the guy every week and we had so much fun together and I wasn’t aware of anything, I didn’t see any of the signs,” Dunstall said. “I’d make a point of asking him every now and then ‘how’re you going’ until you get to the stage of feeling like you’re bugging him so you stop asking. Then you think, should I have been more attentive, should I have seen something, should I have noticed something, should I have said more — what can you do?”

‘I WISH I’D RUNG’

Lyon said he and Dunstall both went and visited Frawley when he first took time off.

Lyon had similar issues afterwards and he said Frawley would ask how he was going and ring him, every time he saw him.

“I wish I had have rung if that was what he was going through,” Lyon said. “You can’t know and that’s the hard thing.”

Lyon said he saw Frawley on Saturday before his final episode of Bounce but nothing seemed amiss.

Whateley said he was in good form on the show as they handed over a birthday cake.

“That’s what makes it harder to come to grips with because he hid it so well and he was such a good performer when the cameras went on, he was on. We’d spend a couple of hours in the lead up to shows and we’d sit there watching the last game and we’d just sit there watching the last game and we’d bag just about everything going on in the game.

“I just don’t understand the disease.”

Dunstall said he wouldn’t be able to look back at Saturday night’s episode of Bounce, Frawley’s last episode.

Dunstall received a call on Monday afternoon from Mark Robinson with the news. He said he couldn’t believe it and went numb.

“I basically had no feeling for hours, and it wasn’t until I saw a replay of 360 doing a tribute and that’s when I lost it and burst into tears and couldn’t stop crying but I hadn’t cried until then because I wasn’t accepting what had happened.”

Lyon said he was asleep and was hit by a wave of text messages with friends and commiserating. He rang around but soon the devastating reality set in.

Asked how they will remember Frawley, Dunstall’s emotions broke free over.

“It’s hard to answer — he’s just a great mate, it’s impossible not to love him,” he said.

Lyon answered: “He was a fun magnet, it didn’t matter what was going on, it didn’t matter what you were doing, how serious or how... he just had a nose for fun. If it got too serious, he’d lose focus and find fun in it. That’s how I’ll remember him.”

If you need help with depression, please see Beyond Blue for a list of organisations that can help. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

[westdog54]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/09/13/garry-lyons-heartfelt-tribute-to-danny-frawley/

I listened to this live, word for word.

I'm no Garry Lyon fan but it absolutely broke my heart to listen to. The pain in his voice was as raw and as obvious as you could imagine.

You just know that he and Jason Dunstall in particular will never quite be the same.

That Saturday Rub tribute will be well worth listening to.