Tom Hafey's dedication to bringing out the best in himself and others is the stuff of legend, and the 82-year-old's zeal for life will be a welcome asset as he recovers from successful surgery for a brain tumour.
Richmond confirmed on Friday that its four-time premiership coach and club ''immortal'' had been operated on earlier in the week and was expected to return home next week.
Another AFL legend, Kevin Sheedy, who played in three of those Hafey-led flags, visited Hafey's wife Maureen on Thursday night and was upbeat about his former mentor's well-being. ''I'm really pleased after talking to Maureen that Tommy's recovering well, and we wish him all the best,'' Sheedy said.
Richmond said Hafey, who played for the Tigers from 1953-58 and also coached Geelong and Sydney in a coaching career that spanned 22 seasons, was ''focusing his full attention on his recuperation, using his renowned discipline and positivity, and is not available for any comment at this stage''.
Hafey was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and was named coach of Richmond's team of the century in 1998.
