Australian Football League (AFL) player and coach Robert Walls passed away at the age of 74, after utilizing voluntary assisted dying laws. Walls, a legendary figure of the Carlton Football Club, achieved three premierships as a player and one as a coach, and later established himself as a media personality and analyst. In 2023, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.
His family informed local media that Walls died surrounded by his children, in his apartment overlooking the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the home of AFL in Victoria. The state of Victoria implemented voluntary assisted dying laws in 2019, allowing individuals in the advanced stages of a disease to end their life with prescribed medication, subject to the approval of two doctors.
In a statement, Walls’ family revealed that he passed away on Thursday morning, following a 14-year career as a league player, a 16-year coaching tenure, and a 25-year stint as a commentator. Despite battling cancer for over two years, which led to him spending more than 250 nights in the hospital, Walls made the decision to end his fight.
Carlton FC acknowledged Walls’ passing on social media, describing him as “one of our game’s great servants.” During his playing career, Walls participated in over 200 matches for Carlton, securing premierships in 1968, 1970, and 1972. Additionally, he had a successful coaching career, leading Carlton to victory in 1987, as well as coaching the Brisbane Lions and Richmond Tigers. After retiring in 1997, Walls became a prominent AFL commentator.
Walls is also remembered for his personal life, as his wife Erin passed away due to cancer in 2006. He is survived by his three children and his partner, Julie, according to local reports.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce81yvn3gnro
