Canberra Raiders foundation player Mick Tilse has passed away after a long battle with illness aged 67.
A former prop and second-row forward, he played nine games in the Raiders' first season in what was then the NSWRL competition.
Prior to that, he also had four games with the North Sydney Bears in 1980.
While his career only lasted 13 games, his son Dane Tilse became a permanent fixture of the club during his own career.
The younger Tilse played 201 matches for the Raiders between 2006 and 2015, while he also spent time at the Newcastle Knights throughout his first-grade career.
Mick and Dane are the first father and son to have played for the Raiders.
“The Raiders would like to pass on their condolences to the Tilse family after the passing of Mick Tilse,” club CEO Don Furner said.
“Mick was a foundation player in 1982, and his son Dane went on to play over 200 first-grade games for the club, so the Tilse name has had a long and proud association with the Raiders.
“Mick and Dane have the honour of being the club's first father/son combination to have played for the Raiders.”
The senior Tilse never managed a win with the Raiders in what was their, historically, worst season as a club, only notching up four victories.
He did, however, have a win with the Raiders in one of two midweek cup (KB Cup as it was known then) games, with the Raiders beating the South Island (New Zealand) 27 points to 15.
That team also featured current Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy playing at five-eighth, as well as CEO Don Furner Senior (who is the current CEO Don Furner Junior's father) serving as coach.
