As a Geelong fan, who's jurisdiction reigns solely in the 21st century, my knowledge of the great Bob Davis is thin. I know he was a fantastic player, good enough to be named in the Geelong Team of the Century, and remained Geelong's last premiership coach from 1963 until 2007. Davis took part in the clubs second most successful era, the early 1950s where the cats won two flags and was pipped in the 1953 grand final in search of a three-peat.
Bobby, as he was affectionately known turned to media after his career and, along with Jack Dyer and Lou Richards set the standard for Australian Rules media coverage. The three great mates would participate in World of Sport and League Teams together, always with large humour and good fun. All this information has been passed down from the past to me. The beautiful thing about Bob Davis is that he made an impression even after his work.
Bobby was simply the last grand Geelong player, royalty in our town, representing the era of glory from the old days. His appearances became less and less as the years went by, yet whenever he was seen he was seen wearing a big grin, just for the pleasure of being involved in an event. For me, the lasting memory of Bob will certainly be the presentation of the 2009 AFL Premiership, flagged to present it if Geelong won in 2008, he was disappointed by a poor cats effort. The following year Davis handed it over, of sorts. As he gave it to Mark Thompson and Tom Harley, Bob seemed as if he didn't want to let go, and the players stormed the presentation, with Bob still clinging on to the cup. Bob Davis just wanted that last taste of the glory days, and nobody was going to argue with him, after all, that would be treason.
