AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon today paid tribute to the late Robert Walls, saying he was someone who had done it all in Australian football as a player, coach, mentor, broadcaster and expert commentator on the game across nearly 60 years.

Walls passed away at the age of 74 today, having fought a long courageous battle with cancer in recent years, before his illness returned in recent weeks.

OBITUARY Robert Walls, a Carlton legend and coaching great

"Robert Walls was a straight talker with very clear ideas on how the game should be played, and the requirements to be successful at the top level. He was beloved by his team mates and the players he led at senior level," Mr Dillon said.

"His list of accomplishments are extraordinary for the breadth of his contribution across the game - both a Hall of Famer and a life member, he was a triple premiership player in the great Carlton sides under Ron Barassi and John Nicholls, a Carlton premiership coach in his time across leading four clubs, and then a leading figure in the media for two decades as a grand final television broadcaster, radio expert in all the big games, award-winning newspaper columnist and an All Australian selector for the league.

"The game was better for Robert being in our ranks and, as a competition, we want to call out his contribution as coach in the early days of the Brisbane Bears, when the club was struggling to establish itself in Queensland.

"Footy in the state is absolutely flying these days with the Lions and the Suns, and we have never forgotten that Robert did the hard yards for the game there when others didn't want to risk their reputations, and he was a major contributor starting the careers of those greats who played in the Brisbane flag sides of 2001-2003."

The AFL extends its deepest condolences to his family and many friends and thanks all those in football who reached out to Robert in recent weeks to send their messages of support, once it was known his illness had returned. So many of Robert's former teammates and players under his coaching reached out recently for a major presentation video he was able to watch.

Robert Walls career record

• 218 games for Carlton 1967-78, 367 goals
• 41 games for Fitzroy 1978-80, 77 goals
• Four games for Victoria, seven goals
• 1968, 1970, 1972 premierships
• 1975, 1976 club leading goals
• 1977-78 club captain
• Carlton Team of the Century (interchange)
• 115 games coached Fitzroy 1981-85
• 84 games coached Carlton 1986-89
• 1987 premiership
• 109 games coached Brisbane Bears 1991-95
• 39 games coached Richmond 1996-97
• One game coached Victoria 1999
• AFL Life Member
• Australian Football Hall of Fame