Longtime Melbourne tennis identity Bob "Nails" Carmichael died yesterday....
FOR a man who loathed authority and unseemly behaviour in equal measure, Bob Carmichael was one of international sport's great enigmas.For every player who can remember the former carpenter single-handedly hoisting Bob Brett into Kooyong's netting and threatening all kinds of havoc, there are just as many who have been upbraided by Carmichael's endless correction.
Carmichael, who died yesterday aged 63, did not go through with his threat against Brett - a rare change of heart for a man renowned for his high principle - but he seldom took a backward step in a compelling life.
When the Australian tennis family gathers to formally farewell "Nails", there will be no shortage of hilarious and heart-warming anecdotes.
Nails was a terrific bloke well known around Melbourne's tennis scene. Anyone who'd grown up playing the game here in the 60's and 70's - and later - would at some time have come across this excellent character.
In fact it was from Nails that I first heard the term "wet-fish" when a friend of mine offered up a floppy, flaccid excuse for a hand-shake at a tournament in 1980.
And if you think that's a cheap headline up-there....you'd be right, but it was too good to pass up. Had to be done. And anyway, Nails would approve.
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