I met Tommy Hafey just once in person.

I hired him to speak at a corporate footy function.

Unlike the majority of corporate speakers which dash off the minute they’d spoken, Tommy stayed and chatted with the audience, not for his benefit, but for theirs.  There were no CEOs or senior executives in the audience that day.  Just regular folks.  Tommy was visibly energised by personal conversations.

Tommy Hafey was a great football person, but he was a greater person.

Kevin Bartlett’s eulogy at Tommy’s funeral on Monday provides a glimpse of the man who:

• loved life
• set himself impossible goals and then smashed them
• gave back to others in abundance

I bore witness to just a smidgen of Tommy’s life.

Inspired.

Rest In Peace.