AFL coaching great Tom Hafey has died of cancer, aged 82.

Richmond confirmed in a statement on the club website that their four-time premiership coach died on Monday.

Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale called Hafey a giant of the club and said it was a sad day for them.

“Tommy means so much to Richmond – he has had an enormous influence on so many people connected with the club.

“His coaching achievements at Tigerland are legendary, and he was a constant source of inspiration to the yellow and black.

“Tommy was a fine example of how to get the most out of life.

“His mantra of hard work, discipline, dedication, persistence, honesty, loyalty, integrity, good health and vitality, was not only the recipe for success on the football field, but success in his wonderful life.

Hafey is survived by his wife Maureen, children Rhonda, Karen and Jo and their extended family.

The Tigers plan to pay tribute to Hafey at Saturday’s game against Melbourne at the MCG.

After playing 67 games for Richmond as a back pocket in the 1950s, Hafey became their coach in 1966 and was a central figure in the club’s golden era.

He coached Richmond to the 1967, `69, `73-74 premierships, placing a big emphasis on player fitness.

Hafey was named the coach for Richmond’s team of the century and is one of five club immortals.

He left the Tigers after crucially losing the support of club powerbroker Graeme Richmond and joined Collingwood.

After finishing last for the first time in 1976, the Magpies flourished under Hafey – the first outsider to coach the club.

They had the historic grand final draw against North Melbourne that season before losing the decider.

Under Hafey, the Magpies’s notorious “Colliwobbles” continued when they also suffered narrow grand final losses to Carlton in 1979 and `81.

He was sacked midway through the 1982 season.

After coaching Geelong for 56 games between 1983-85, Hafey took over Sydney under flamboyant owner Geoffrey Edelsten.

He coached the Swans for 70 games from 1986-88, his last AFL coaching appointment.

Hafey then became a long-time radio commentator and is one of the game’s most beloved figures.

Away from the AFL, Hafey became renowned for his passion for fitness and an early-morning workout regime that would have worn out many people much younger than him.

In late April, it emerged that Hafey was back in hospital with complications after having surgery the month before to have a brain tumour removed.