A who’s who of footy greats farewell lovable league larrikin and TV star Terry Hill at emotional service after his shock death aged just 52

Footy Larrikin Terry Hill was sent off for the final time on Thursday on a shift befitting the great and popular rugby league television personality.

Hill died of a heart attack in the Philippines on April 24 at the age of 52, almost two decades after he left the field in the final game of a storied 246-game career.

His death shocked the NRL world, where Hill not only made a name for himself as a ruthless competitor for 16 seasons, but also became a regular on the Footy Show and featured in Lowes Menswear commercials.

Hill played from Redfern, Bondi, Campbelltown, Brookvale and Leichhardt, but his friends and fans gathered to say goodbye to him in Kingsford, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Fittingly for a dim-witted character known for his love of beer and greyhound racing, ‘Tezza’s’ funeral was held not in a church, but at the Juniors Leagues Club.

Among the former players who paid their respects were Andrew Johns, Cliff Lyons, David Gillespie, Craig Coleman, Jim Dymock, Jim Serdaris, Brett Stewart, Craig Field, Joe Thomas and Nathan Wood.

Legendary trainer Johnny Lewis represented the boxing fraternity with Peter Mitrevski, with Lewis known for creating world champions from the Newtown Police Boys Club, where Hill trained in his younger years.

Born in inner-city Newtown and raised in nearby Erskineville, Hill came through the first grade for the South Sydney Rabbitohs as an 18-year-old in 1990 before moving to the eastern suburbs and then to Wests.

He moved to Manly in 1994 for the first of two spells with the Sea Eagles, where he established himself as a regular representative player.

Usually positioned in the centres, Hill was an occasional lock or five-eighth, appearing 17 times for NSW in State of Origin (1993–2000) and nine times for Australia (1994–1998).

Hill was part of Manly’s premiership-winning side in 1996 and was the leading try scorer in the ARL competition at the height of the Super League war in 1997.

He moved to West Tigers for three seasons before returning to Manly, where he retired in 2005.

Hill’s appearances on Nine Network’s Footy Show during the show’s most successful period, and in Lowes commercials featuring other football identities, brought him a wider audience and even greater fame.

On the Footy Show, Hill hosted live crosses to Thursday night’s south coast greyhound racing at Dapto, where he cheered on his dog Nads – ‘Go Nads!’

Fellow presenters joked about Hill’s speech impediment, a pronounced lisp that he understood was part of his comedic appeal.

“It all happened in good fun, it was not malicious and I really got a kick out of it,” he once said.

‘I’ve had this speech problem since I was a child and I’ll have it for the rest of my life.

‘They teased me about it at school, but my parents encouraged me to laugh with them so I wouldn’t get upset.

‘My back teeth haven’t grown all the way down and there’s a little air pocket flowing through them, especially when I try to make the ‘S’ sound.

“I suppose the lisp has become something of a trademark for me, a bit like Ita Buttrose and Ken Callander.”

Although Hill was a cult figure for his off-field antics, he was part of one of the modern game’s defining dramas after being called up to Easts in 1991, despite singing with Western Suburbs.

He was one of several players who accused the game’s governing body of restricting trade in a lawsuit that ended with a victory in the Supreme Court.

After retiring from the NRL, Hill gave back to the sport that made him famous by coaching the Umina and Kincumber clubs on the NSW Central Coast.

He married three times, first to Tracey Benson with whom he had three children, and then to Kristie, the daughter of Immortal Bob Fulton.

Hill’s third marriage was to Marilou and he spent the last few years traveling to and from her home country, doing charity work.

His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from former teammates, including hardman David ‘Cement’ Gillespie who Hill had last seen in the Philippines where they were raising money for an orphanage.

“I was with Terry last week,” Gillespie said as the news spread. Hill had died.

“He was his usual self, the life of the party. Terry was doing well and everyone was in trouble at the fundraiser. His death is sudden, unexpected and incredibly sad.

‘He was a very generous person. As a player Terry was ruthless, tough and uncompromising. He would give and take.”

Craig Coleman, who played with Hill at South Sydney, realized his younger teammate was destined for greatness on the football field.

“Terry was one of the real characters of the game and a great player,” he said.

“I’d seen him come through Souths as a kid. He was a proud Souths junior and we always knew he was destined for great things.”

Coleman also revealed details about Hill’s final hours.

“He had been there for a few weeks and called a friend and said he wasn’t feeling well,” Coleman said.

“The mate told him to lie down… apparently he went to sleep and never woke up.”

Steve Menzies, another of Manly’s favorite sons, recalled two sides of Hill’s personality, both on and off the pitch.

“Terry was a ruthless competitor… the kind of guy you enjoyed playing with,” Menzies recalled.

“He was tough, passionate and athletic.

‘Off the field he loved to laugh, tell jokes and endless one-liners. He loved being the center of attention.”

The Sea Eagles honored Hill’s contribution to rugby league far beyond the northern beaches.

“Terry will always be fondly remembered at Manly,” said club CEO Tony Mestrov.

“Terry was a much-loved and respected figure, not only at the Sea Eagles, but also in rugby league, where he played for several clubs.

“On behalf of everyone at the Sea Eagles, we extend our deepest and sincere condolences to Terry’s family and friends at this difficult time.

Greyhound Racing NSW praised Hill as an ‘owner and great supporter of the sport’.