Billy Bischoff's last visit to Werris Creek, where he will forever be remembered for masterminding the Magpies' 1979 premiership win, was a special occasion.
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Beneath a blue sky in July 2019, the former Balmain Tiger was afforded a well-earned respect as the club celebrated their Old Boys Day.
"I just love it," the ex-Magpies coach told the Leader at the time. "I just feel like I'm walking on cloud nine when all those blokes come up to me, whether I knew them or I didn't know them."
Accompanying Bischoff on that day was his son Grant. On Friday morning, Grant said his father - who passed away, aged 85, on the Gold Coast on Monday - had "gone to a better place" after battling dementia.
"He ended up being an Australian selector, NSW selector, Country selector [in rugby league]," Grant said. "He was held in very high regard."
"He was very well liked," Grant added. "He was a bit of a character."
As a five-eighth, centre and halfback, Bischoff played 151 first-grade games for Balmain between 1957-65 and one game for NSW, in 1961.
He made two NSW Country appearances, one each in 1967 and 1968 (he was captain-coach in '67), and played one game for NSW City, in 1962.
His father, Billy "Bok" Bischoff, was a five-eighth for Balmain between 1937-40 and a member of the Tigers' 1939 premiership-winning side.
Bischoff arrived in Tamworth at the completion of his NSW Rugby League premiership career - and captain-coached West Tamworth to a host of grand final wins.
Grant said: "My father and my grandfather, they were made to play rugby league. That was their trade, and they were both very, very good at it."
Werris Creek chairman Jason Leonard said Bischoff came to the Magpies in 1978 because he believed in the club. He left the club and the region after the Magpies' 1979 first-division premiership triumph.
"His career was on the back end then, so there was no need for Billy to do what he did," Leonard said of Bischoff linking with Werris Creek.
He totally turned the club around ... And it even still resonates today, the mechanisms that Billy put in place, and the professionalism and the training and everything else.
Leonard said "there wouldn't be a footballer in Werris Creek in the last 40 years" who had not been influenced in some degree by what Bischoff did while at the club.
"And he still thought enough of us to come back in 2019 for our reunion, when his health wasn't fantastic," Leonard said, adding that Bischoff had "the time of his life" at the reunion.
Marie Cox cherishes her memories of Bischoff when, at West Tamworth, he had a fierce rivalry with her husband, Jim, who was Tamworth City's coach.
"They had great times with the camaraderie with the rivalry," she said, adding that Bischoff caught up with her husband when he returned for the Magpies reunion.
Marie recalled when she and Jim would host players for post-game celebrations at their home.
"Jim would get in a devilish mood. And he'd pretend the phone would ring and he'd say, 'Billy Bischoff just rang to invite you all up to his house'.
"And off they'd all toddle and arrive at Billy's house. They played jokes on each other all the time. It was fun."
Bischoff's funeral will be held at Burleigh Heads on Monday, followed by a celebration of his life at the Seagulls Leagues Club.
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Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
