Slocum played 121 games and kicked 47 goals with the Club from 1957-65 before going on to coach the Reserves side for a further four seasons.
He is even credited with coaching Fitzroy’s senior side for one match when Bill Stephen fell ill in 1968.
He was awarded Life Membership in 1966 and in 2001 was nominated for Fitzroy’s Team of the Century – although he ultimately missed out on being selected in the final team.
Slocum was also a strong supporter of the Lions after the merger, and spent a number of years as a corporate member of the Club in Victoria post 1997.
A true gentleman in every sense of the word, he will be sorely missed.
The Club extends its heartfelt sympathies to his wife Sandra and the entire Slocum family.
Please find below a fitting tribute to Ray Slocum's by Stuart Potter courteys of www.fitzroyfc.com.au
Tribute to Ray Slocum
Recruited locally by the Lions, Ray Slocum developed into a wingman after being used initially as a rover and at half forward. Born in 1937 Slocum was recruited to Fitzroy from Preston YCW, from originally a Richmond supporting family, although they quickly converted to Fitzroy when Slocum played in the U/19’s.
After a couple of years in the U/19’s Slocum made his senior debut for Fitzroy in Round 11 of 1957 against South Melbourne at Albert Park. His first senior coach was Bill Stephen, the very man he would eventually replace for one senior game eleven years later. Managing five senior games in his first year, he doubled that amount in 1958, under his U/19 coach and now new Fitzroy senior coach Len Smith, establishing himself as a definite up-and-comer amongst the Fitzroy senior listed players.
Slocum recalled that under Len Smith who coached the senior Fitzroy side from 1958 to 1962, he thrived as a footballer. “He [Smith] was great. He was a teacher. He taught us all about football and when we were playing U/19s he taught us all a lot. He was a thinker, you know, he really knew the game He brought in the flick pass. We had a bit of success with that while we were allowed to do it. His thing in those days was the play on footy and that’s how it all started. We had to keep the ball moving.”
By 1959 Slocum had established himself in the senior team, even gaining three Brownlow votes, and played in the night premiership of that season kicking two goals as the Lions beat Hawthorn by 30 points. “Back in those days, the night premiership did mean something, so we all got some enjoyment out of that.” he later recalled.
Slocum’s career highlight, at the tender age of 23, by his own admission was the 1960 preliminary final at the MCG against Collingwood. Fitzroy lost by a kick in very muddy conditions – a game which Slocum, playing in the forward pocket, believed, could have been won with a little more luck. 1960 was also his most prolific year, were he played 20 out of a possible 24 games.
Unfortunately both for Fitzroy and Ray Slocum he was never to play in a final again, even though in Round 4 1964 against Richmond he finally reached 100 games for the club, putting him amongst a select band of Fitzroy players to have reached that milestone.
Back in those days, a senior player who had accumulated 10 years of consecutive service for Fitzroy was awarded life membership. Slocum who had an Achilles tendon injury struggled to play due to that injury. The last game of the 1966 season was a night match against South Melbourne. Ray Slocum was named on the bench and came on for about two minutes so he could automatically qualify as a life member. Following that game he retired from senior football.
Slocum moved straight into coaching Fitzroy’s reserves. For the first year of his four year stint, he was playing coach but retired from playing at all at the end of the 1967 season. In 1968, due to a sudden illness of Bill Stephen it was Ray who took the reins of senior coach.
Ray Slocum resigned as Fitzroy reserves coach at the end of the 1970 season and went out and coached Eltham in the Diamond Valley league coaching the club to a senior premiership in 1972.
In 2001 Ray Slocum was nominated for the Fitzroy Team of the Century and was rapt to be so considered. “I thought it was an honour because for an ordinary player, as I class myself, to be put amongst those was a sheer delight. So I was rapt. It was a pleasure and a surprise. It was nice to be thought of in that manner.” he said later on.
