Rose, a 1958 premiership player, former president and life member, received a moving standing ovation from the 700-plus guests in attendance at the Crown Palladium on Monday, when president Eddie McGuire announced Rose's induction, reinforcing his status as one of the club’s true champions.
Recruited from Nyah West, Rose, the younger brother of arguably the most revered Magpie ever – Bob Rose – played his first senior game in 1958 after coming to the club as a 15-year-old in 1955, and in a career spanning 10 seasons played 159 games and booted 47 goals.
In the 1958 Grand Final, in only his second full game, he was among Collingwood’s best. In the 1960 decider he was one of only a few who could hold his head high, and in 1964 he put in a blinder, having the great Ron Barassi shifted off him. Many experts including Barassi himself, voted Rose best on the ground in that Grand Final.
In a testament to his durability and courage, from round four in 1962, till he hung his boots up in 1967, he didn’t miss a game.
For over half a century Kevin Rose has been involved at Collingwood. As a premiership player, board member and president, he has served Collingwood selflessly, and always with that famous Rose passion and humility.
His address following his induction was reflective of the way he has always been, intensely passionate, and he paid special tribute to his late brother Bob, who passed away in 2003.
“I’m very, very honoured to join brother Bob as a member of the Hall of Fame.
“You’ve got to be lucky in life sometimes I suppose. I was fortunate that brother Bob chose the Collingwood Football Club as his club.”
Kevin then gave the current Collingwood squad a spur to go on to great things.
“I want to say to the current players, Bucks and your senior players, that you’ve got a terrific opportunity I can see looming for us now, in the next two or three years, a team quite capable of taking that last step in September, I’m genuine about that.”
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire was equally as passionate in describing the life of one of the club’s favourite sons.
“We welcome one of the greatest Collingwood men of all time into the Collingwood Hall of Fame”, Mr.McGuire declared.
“Kevin Rose is one of the most honest and selfless people I have ever met. His contribution as a premiership player speaks for itself.
“As a president and board member he helped secure the future of Collingwood and at the same time cemented the legacy of his brother Bob and the Rose family as one of the most venerated in our club’s long history.
“Let there be no mistaking, that the deal we did at the MCG to set up our club, the architect of that was Kevin Rose as the president of Collingwood.”
McGuire later announced that leading Australian businessman Mark Korda will take over from Rose on the Collingwood board.
