Up until his resignation he was the innovator among the present bunch of AFL coaches with the controversial flooding tactic among those he pioneered. Eade was Sydney’s longest serving coach and led the club to its first grand final appearance in 51 years in 1996 – his first season as coach. Eade played in four premiership sides for the Hawks and worked for Brisbane and North Melbourne as an assistant coach before landing in Sydney.

	Born on the 4th April 1958, Rodney Eade played senior football with Glenorchy before he was recruited by Hawthorn. He featured in the 1975 Glenorchy premiership team who also won the State premiership defeating NTFA premier North Launceston on a Sunday. Rodney Eade was also the recipient of the EC Billett Shield (for best first year player in the TFL) in this year.
	The 1975 Glenorchy team TFL and State premiers. Rodney Eade is pictured in the second row fourth from the left. Standing next to him fifth from left is Robbie Dykes while Gary "Super" Linton is first on the right. In the back row Trevor Sprigg stands second from left while in the front row is playing coach Peter Hudson fourth from the left with Daryl Sutton fifth from left and Rex Garwood sits second from right.
	Rodney Eade played at Hawthorn from 1976 to 1987 for a return of 229 games with 46 goals. He played in the 1978 premiership win over North Melbourne in the centre kicking one goal and was third among the best players after Robert DiPierDomenico and Leigh Matthews. He also figured prominently in the 1983 grand final win over Essendon. During his time at Hawthorn he was selected to play for Victoria and also captained Tasmania. He was involved in VFL premierships with the club in 1976, 1978, 1983 and 1986. Rodney Eade was made a life member of Hawthorn in 1983.
	The 1983 Hawthorn premiership team. Rodney Eade is first on the right in the front row.
	Rodney Eade playing for Hawthorn against the Sydney Swans, the team he was later to coach.

In 1988 Rodney Eade transferred to the new Brisbane Bears team based on the Gold Coast at Carrara. He played 30 games between 1988 to 1990 and kicked three goals.
In 1990 Rodney Eade, former Hawthorn premiership veteran in the final year of his illustrious playing career, replaced Mark Maclure as coach of the Reserves at the Brisbane Bears. A rare highlight came in September the next year when the Bears won the Reserves Premiership. Coached by Eade and captained by Rod Lester-Smith, the club triumphed 16-13-109 to 11-9-75 over Melbourne at Waverley, after AFL Grand Final Day had been moved from its traditional home of the MCG during construction of the Southern Stand. The Bears were the first ‘interstate’ team to capture a VFL/AFL flag.

He coached the North Melbourne Kangaroos reserves team for 3 years from 1992 to 1995 taking them to the reserves premiership in 1995.

Rodney Eade took over the reins from Ron Barassi at Sydney in 1996 and took the club from 12th place in 1995 to the minor premiership and their first grand final appearance since 1945.
He was Sydneys' longest serving coach until his departure from the Swans on April 24th 2002.Rodney Eade was also the most successful coach of the Swans since Jack Bissett in the 1930's. In a bitter end to the club's most successful coaching stint Eade was told he would not be part of the Swans' rebuilding program in 2003, so he took the option of resigning, leaving with his reputation intact. He coached Sydney for six and a half seasons from 1996 to round 12, 2002 for 152 games for 81 wins, 69 losses and 2 draws for a winning percentage of 53.28. During his tenure the club made the finals in 1996-1999 and again in 2001, losing the grand final in 1996 to the Kangaroos.

There is no doubt Rodney Eade will return to a coaches box somewhere in the future.

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Rodney Eade - A Tasmanian Football Legend