Lou Richards decided to retire before the end of the 1955 season. His farewell, against Fitzroy, brought out a massive crowd, and the man himself was overcome.
"It brought tears to my eyes," Richards said later.
"It was the end of 15 years at the club, 15 of the happiest years of my life. When you are running around in front of 25,000 to 30,000 people, naturally you get a tear in your eye."
The decision to retire was published in The Argus with quotes from Lou.
"I would have retired earlier, but the selectors had asked me to continue as a rover," he said.
"Last week I had one of my biggest thrills when the Collingwood Committee let me run round the ground at the head of the team.
"The Magpie supporters gave me a terrific cheer, and then I got round to the outer and the Fitzroy crowd. They were extra generous too, and I felt a lot softer towards them than I would have if I had been carrying on on the field instead of running straight off.
"COME to think of it, they might have felt a bit different about me, too!"
Richards finished playing at 30 years of age on 250 games.
Reference 1955 'Lou wilt quit.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 15 August, p. 1, viewed 24 August, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71673670
