THE ADELAIDE Football Club and the AFL community will celebrate the life of Bob Hammond today in a memorial service from 2pm ACST.
Hammond, an Australian Football Hall of Fame member, sadly passed away on Saturday, May 30, after a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease.
>> TAP HERE TO WATCH THE BOB HAMMOND MEMORIAL SERVICE LIVE ON THE ADELAIDE FC WEBSITE FROM 2pm ACST
The 78yo was recognised as one of the giants of South Australian football across a six-decade contribution to the game.
Debuting as an 18-year-old in 1960, Hammond played in North Adelaide's premiership side in his initial season and was a triple premiership player for the Roosters across a 234-game SANFL career.
He then coached Norwood to the 1975 and 1978 premierships – the first ending a 25-year drought for the club and the second flag triumph coming in the Redlegs' centenary year.
He later coached both SA and the Sydney Swans (in the VFL), before a remarkable administrative career in which he was the inaugural chairman of the Adelaide Crows, overseeing the clubs' only two AFL premierships, and then serving as an AFL Commissioner for a decade from 2001-11.
He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2015, after previously being inducted into the SANFL Hall of Fame and being awarded Life Membership of both the SANFL and the AFL.
Son Craig Hammond said his father had lived a rich and full life and the family was grateful to all those who had been in contact with him in recent months as his health had begun to turn against him.
"Dad lived a full and busy life and we have a lifetime of memories from the guidance and support he provided to everyone in our family," Craig Hammond said.
"We thank everyone for their support and best wishes as we come to terms with his loss."
