He was sacked from Fitzroy in 1970 as he was recovering in hospital from pneumonia and resigned from his final VFL coaching appointment at the end of the 1980 season, after coaching the Lions into the finals in 1979 for the first time since 1960.
The coach was let go by Fitzroy in 1970 because he was still recuperating from an illness, and then he chose to leave his final VFL coaching role at the end of the 1980 season, after successfully leading the Lions into the finals for the first time since 1960.