When first choice ruck Neville Crowe was suspended for the 1967 grand final Patterson stepped up brilliantly to compete with legendary ruckman Polly Farmer and made a major contribution to Richmond's 9-point victory.
In 1970 Patterson joined the North Adelaide Football Club as captain/coach with great success, hardening a champion side and leading the Roosters to SANFL premierships in 1971 and 1972.
However this placed great pressure on Patterson's position as Jesaulenko had an established record as a captain-coach, having the year previously led Carlton to premiership victory.
Patterson returned home to Punt Road Oval in his final position as senior VFL coach of the Richmond Football Club for the 1984 season.
[4] In 2001, shortly before his premature death, Mike Patterson, the first Victorian to steer an SANFL club to a premiership, was selected as coach of North Adelaide's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'.