Vale John Devine

[Catsace]

Saw a link from Geelong's FB page reporting that Geelong Premiership player and coach John Devine passed away at age 82 this morning.

Vale John Devine

Geelong premiership player and former senior coach, John Devine, has passed away at the age of 82

www.geelongcats.com.au

He played his career as a Cat before my birth, but recall him coaching in the '86-88 era. Perhaps the fairly long time out of the VFL sphere maybe made his style not always the ideal medium to coach the younger players of the time, but late in 1988 the Cats showed a portent for things to come with three ripping wins over finals aspirants Essendon, Sydney and Footscray with the sort of high scoring and excitement that would become apparent in the Blight era. As long ago as he was coach, Geelong has only had four men coach the side subsequently, the most consistent and stable coaching coterie in the club's history since. He's also possibly in one way the last coach of the 'old' Geelong....1989 changed the club's profile and success rate in a glorious way since, even if it did take another generation to claim the '07 Flag. For a fan my age (born '68) since 1989 we've seen the best of times for our club.

Neglected to also say he was a Hall of Fame member for Geelong, inducted in 2002. A universally admired player for both Geelong and North Hobart too after he took over the captain-coach role for them in 1967.

 

[Kitcat]

A tough hard player.

 

[Catsace]

His toughness as a player by all accounts would have been welcome in an era when being hit behind play was often a thing at the time. Geelong's style versus Hawthorn's 'Kennedy's Commandos' was somewhat of a contrast, I think Geelong probably always played the beautiful game whereas others tended to be a bit more bash and crash. But Devine's presence at half back was a feature in this great era of Geelong from 60-66. Made others walk taller.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

A tough hard player.

He certainly was

Sad news of his passing though

Geelong premiership player- but in Tasmania - where he went capt/coaching after he left the Cats - and basically lived his life their - hes got legendary status in Tassie - and was capt/coach in that famous playoff between the North and the South Premiers one year - which they still will be talking about in 100 years time

 

[Feline]

I'm sorry to hear that. John Devine was vice captain of the club when I started going to the football as a kid. I remember him being a tough player who would go in hard and would protect younger and smaller players. Over the years I've met a number of people who knew him and all had total respect for him as a person as well as a player.

 

[cats_09]

From the club

 

[JackFlash]

"Father" Devine coached the club when they were stony broke after the Hafey years. A tough hard player who finished far too early, but that's what happened in the 1960s. His passion is well-documented and he paved the way for the Blight era...

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I'm not old enough to remember him as a player, but I certainly remember when he coached the Cats. He took over from Tom Hafey in 1986, who got the axe due to internal politics (Hafey went to Sydney and took Greg Williams with him), and held the job until Malcolm Blight was appointed in 1989. During his tenure, Devine recruited many players, such as future Geelong Team of the Century ruck rover Garry Hocking, future captain Mark Bairstow, Billy Brownless, Bruce Lindner, Gavin Exell, Barry Stoneham, and David Cameron. That was his real contribution to the club.

Looking up his stats as a coach, it was 66 games, 28 wins, 37 losses, and one draw. The club finished 10th in 1988. Hence they decided to move him on. But what I know from once talking to someone who was involved behind the scenes in those days, the club culture (especially the board and admin sections) was a real shit show with power/ego trips and petty politics galore. However, I remember John did his job with dignity, and when he was sacked in 1988, he left the team better than when he took over from Hafey. After all, the club went on to play in the 1989 GF, and some of that credit has to go to the job John Devine did in the two years before that.

John was a great club man, a premiership player at Geelong in 1963, runner-up in the Carji twice, and played in the Big V. From what I've read about his playing days he was considered a big game player. Someone who could bring it when the pressure was the greatest. He played 118 games at Geelong as a defender.

I'd like to wish John's family and friends my deepest condolences.

 

[Catsace]

I'm not old enough to remember him as a player, but I certainly remember when he coached the Cats. He took over from Tom Hafey in 1986, who got the axe due to internal politics (Hafey went to Sydney and took Greg Williams with him), and held the job until Malcolm Blight was appointed in 1989. During his tenure, Devine recruited many players, such as future Geelong Team of the Century ruck rover Garry Hocking, future captain Mark Bairstow, Billy Brownless, Bruce Lindner, Gavin Exell, Barry Stoneham, and David Cameron. That was his real contribution to the club.

Looking up his stats as a coach, it was 66 games, 28 wins, 37 losses, and one draw. The club finished 10th in 1988. Hence they decided to move him on. But what I know from once talking to someone who was involved behind the scenes in those days, the club culture (especially the board and admin sections) was a real s**t show with power/ego trips and petty politics galore. However, I remember John did his job with dignity, and when he was sacked in 1988, he left the team better than when he took over from Hafey. After all, the club went on to play in the 1989 GF, and some of that credit has to go to the job John Devine did in the two years before that.

John was a great club man, a premiership player at Geelong in 1963, runner-up in the Carji twice, and played in the Big V. From what I've read about his playing days he was considered a big game player. Someone who could bring it when the pressure was the greatest. He played 118 games at Geelong as a defender.

I'd like to wish John's family and friends my deepest condolences.

Very well put. John did bring quite a few youngsters into the side who developed into stars of the club. And Geelong was in a parlous state when he was appointed, after all Hafey was poached by Edelsten's dollars and flim-flammery at Sydney, and Geelong was unable to find the extra 5K for 1985 B & F winner Greg Wiliams to stay. In addition to losing him, senior players Bernard Toohey and David Bolton left too. Quite a drain of talent for John Devine to try to make the best of. But he was a passionate man about Geelong and loved the club. The Cats were pretty ordinary in '86, but understandably so. But in 1987-1988 we saw many signs of the delightfully and frustratingly spasmodic, mercurial, infuriating Geelong that came to be in this time.

As early as Rd 5 1987, after a shock loss to the Bears at K.P, Geelong under Devine scored their highest ever score to that point..29.10.184. They could play sublime footy, then go ahead and lose to the Bears for the second time in the season later on. It took the might of Hawthorn pulling out all their classic arsey escape antics to knock Geelong out of the finals in '87, Geelong at one stage being several goals up against the Hawks. Sign of the times but 17.21.123 is a lot of scoring shots against the Hawks of that era.

1988 was similar, the spasmodic and mercurial but ultimately just slightly flawed nature of the side meant the Cats missed out on finals. But those last two seasons Geelong went 21-22-1, not exactly the record of a bad coach. And under Devine i reckon the Cats for the first time in a few years discovered that they could play good, even excellent footy. But due to the side being fairly young aside from the likes of Bos, Flanigan and Turner it was inconsistent. I feel now upon closer reflection that his coaching performance is coloured by the 1986 record of 7-15. Who knows, perhaps his 1988 was like Bomber's 2006?

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Always sad to see former luminaries pass away but I take comfort knowing that he saw Geelong get back to the top and have the success that eluded the club for so long after he retired.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Condolences to the Devine family, Geelong and the Tassie footy community. I have strong memories of Devine .

His skills and footy IQ were bloody useful in the Cat defence including 1963. He did possess the ability to deliver a fierce shirt front but was by no means a mongrel. All in all he was a cracking, good footballer and more importantly a good fella.

RIP

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I wonder if Des Tuddenham the former Collingwood captain makes any comments on Johns passing - a gun half forward flanker - and a tough little barstaard - Tuddy and John would have played on each other plenty of times - and Tuddenham has said often - boy Johnny Devine was he tough

I reckon back in the 60s - only 1 umpire - those 2 would have stood toe to toe and just traded them - and if Coll happened to beat Geel - while they were shaking hands - i reckon Devine would have said something along the lines of - you dirty little shiit Tuddenham - i will get you next time

 

[FromOldFitzroy]

Pardon the intrusion.
I had brief dealings with John when he was a publican in Hobart; a nicer, more down to earth bloke you wouldn’t meet.
Than, after a stint in Parliament, he gave up his seat because he felt he wasn’t contributing much. Honest man.

 

[AM]

Tough as they come and skilful with it.

A comment from Des Tuddenham just this week

 

[you pick one]

Much admired and most likely still in the top 20 Geelong players I've seen, tough as nails he worked for a time behind the public bar at the Norlane Hotel in the 60s probably his down time LOL.

RIP.