INSPIRATION
When I heard that Lionel had died I thought, “A life lived, his way, because he could.”
Not many Koori men have that opportunity.
Enough has been said by Gubbas I reckon. I found this in my singles collection, I must have bought it when it came out at Lee’s Sound Lounge in Mentone Shopping Centre…mint!
I had a bit to do with the Aboriginal Nations when I was managing No Fixed Address, and I know Uncle Lionel was an inspiration to those fighters and groundbreakers also, a couple of the band members were Gippsland bred.
You were our Ali, not because you were a black pugilist, but you continued to advocate for your people till the end…respect brother!
I met Lionel in the TAGG days, he was hanging at BeByBac, a coffee shop in St Kilda Road (High Street at the time) in St Kilda owned by Les McDonald. I sold them an ad in the magazine…
Is a State Funeral justified for Lionel Rose?
I would think they wouldn’t draw breath before rubber-stamping a State funeral for latter-day sports heroes, or even contemporaries like Goolagong. A hard man in a hard sport, PC nannas would be squirming, but we are, and he epitomised the Australian male warrior psyche.
