BOB BATTY

Full Back 1959 - 1971

A highly consistent fullback for Manly in the 1960s, Bob Batty retired in early 1972 as not only the club's then greatest point scorer but also with a then record 257 grade games, 196 of them in first grade. Bob came from Murwillumbah in 1959 and was a member of the premiership winning reserve grade side in 1960.

Known as "Roadie" after the uncatchable cartoon character the Road Runner, Batty, while not overly robust, he was a safe reliable player in defence, a fine attacking player and a prolific goal kicker. A member of Manly's losing Grand Final teams of 1968 and 1970, he retired early in 1972 to make way for Graham Eadie, thereby missing out on Manly's first Grand Final win.

Bob was the second player to play 200 games for the club and the first to score 1,000 points. He scored 1,321 points, 1,174 of them in first grade. His popularity within the club was illustrated at his testimonial at Manly Leagues Club in 1972 when a packed auditorium honoured him with four standing ovations.

Bob continued his association with the club as a lower grade coach in the mid 1970s.

Sources: Whiticker & Hudson 2002, p. 28; Smith 1991, pp 93, 104.