Run ends for the Galloping Gasometer

by PAUL DAFFEY

MICK NOLAN, a genial giant who became one of the most popular players in the history of the North Melbourne Football Club, died in Brisbane this week after a sharp decline through pancreatic cancer. He was 59.

Nolan was a ruckman who had an unusual combination of bulk and subtlety. With a playing weight of more than 120 kilograms, his stomach hung over his shorts. But his deft tap-work to rover Barry Cable played a significant part in the success of the glamorous teams at Arden Street in the 1970s.

Nolan's appeal was his lack of glamour. He was earthy and smiling, and lumbered with good grace his nickname the Galloping Gasometer. The nickname was derived from the gasometer that stood stout and strong across the road from the North Melbourne footy ground.

In 1973 Nolan came down from Wangaratta Rovers, having played 100 senior games there, and he remained a country ruckman throughout his VFL career. More than once, he missed practice matches in March so that he could return home for the annual duck-shooting weekend with family and friends on the Ovens River.

Nolan played 100 games at North Melbourne, and was a member of the 1975 premiership team. He missed out on playing in the 1977 premiership team because of a shoulder injury.

When his Kangaroos career ended after the 1980 season, he took the coaching job at Brisbane club Mayne, where he played another 100 games. Nolan settled in Brisbane, where he worked for several years as a salesman for the Rothman's cigarette company, but every year he returned to north-east Victoria for the camping weekend in March.

Last month Nolan was again camping on the Ovens River when he felt acute pain. Not long after driving back to Brisbane, he entered hospital and was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer.

Just over a week ago, the diagnosis was changed to pancreatic cancer and family began arriving in Brisbane to see Nolan before he died. North Melbourne organised a function to be held in Brisbane in his honour this weekend, to coincide with Saturday night's match between Brisbane and the Roos, but Nolan's condition deteriorated rapidly this week.

He died at 8.45pm last night at Princes Charles Hospital in the Brisbane suburb of Chermside, surrounded by family members including wife Nettie, sons Dale and Danny, brother Peter and sister Helen. His oldest son, Ricky, was to arrive tomorrow from Sweden with Mick's three-year-old grandson Noah.

From The Age.

28 May 2008

If you'd like to comment on this story email us and we'll put your contribution on our new-look letters & comments page.

australianrules.com.au

m nolan

Mick Nolan.

Disclaimer