Collingwood legend and media personality Lou Richards will be honoured with a state funeral after his family accepted the Victorian premier’s offer of a public farewell.

Richards died in a Melbourne nursing home on Monday aged 94 after a long and celebrated career as a footballer and media figure.

His family had no hesitation in taking up the state government’s offer to give all Victorians the chance to say their final goodbyes – his daughter accepting the offer on Tuesday afternoon.

“I think dad would be really proud to think that someone from Collingwood, who grew up in Collingwood and lived most of his life in (nearby) Abbotsford, would be offered a state funeral,” his daughter Nicole Morrison said.

“I think that would be a great honour. I’m really thankful to the premier for offering that to us. We’re very, very proud of that.”

The date and location of the funeral are yet to be announced.

Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday it was a way “all Victorians can say thank you to Lou Richards for a life well lived and a very generous one\”.

“I thought it was appropriate to offer to someone who’s just a fantastic Victorian, someone who made a huge contribution to footy and a huge contribution to the life of our state, someone who was loved by all.

“You can’t say that about every Collingwood hero, but he was loved by, I think, every single Victorian because he was just a decent bloke and always gave back and always gave generously.”

Richards captained Collingwood’s 1953 VFL premiership side before becoming one of the AFL’s most beloved figures in print and television from the 1950s through to the 1990s.

Ms Morrison said the outpouring of support after her father’s death had been “lovely”.

“(We’ve seen) how much he is loved by people in Melbourne particularly, and throughout Victoria, and I think that in itself is a memorial to dad,” she said.

– AAP