Lou Richards was the pint-sized Collingwood rover who lived a super-sized life.
On Wednesday morning, thousands of mourners will bring the heart of Melbourne to a standstill as the wise-cracking larrikin known as Louie The Lip is farewelled.
Richards died early last week, aged 94 and his state funeral will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in the CBD.
Fans unable to gain access to the cathedral can watch a live screening of the service across the road at Federal Square.
Richards was the 1953 Magpies premiership captain who achieved much greater fame after his playing career.
Thanks to his widespread media roles, particularly in TV, Richards was the AFL’s first true celebrity.
He joined fellow retired stars Jack Dyer and Bob Davis to become the game’s irreverent Three Wise Monkeys, with their League Teams show on Channel Seven.
Richards and Peter Landy also were long-time match commentators for Seven.
In print, Richards’ Kiss Of Death column was a Melbourne football staple for decades.
Despite his iconic status in the game, a quirk of the AFL Hall Of Fame rules meant Richards controversially never achieved official legend status.
After finishing at Seven, Richards ended his media career at Channel Nine.
But first and foremost, Wednesday’s funeral will honour Richards the family man.
His beloved wife Edna died in 2008 and they had two daughters in their 60-year marriage.
The service will run from 11am and afterwards, the funeral cortege will travel past Richards’ statue at the Collingwood headquarters on Olympic Boulevard.