Tigers dedicate finale to Dyer
7:36:38 PM Sun 24 August, 2003
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
Richmond will dedicate its final week of the 2003 season to football legend Jack Dyer.
Tigers coach Danny Frawley said the news of Dyer’s death, which came less than 24 hours before the club’s match against Port Adelaide on Sunday at Telstra Dome, had left the club in a state of shock.
“It’s been a rushed 24 hours,” Frawley said after the Tigers’ fighting 20-point loss to the ladder leader.
“We tried to pay respect to the Dyer name as best we could, but I really think that the next week will be the build-up for that. As I said it was a bit of a shock for everyone over the last 24 hours,”
“We didn’t have a lot of time to focus on that. It’s going to be a huge week for the club this week. Obviously, they don’t come any bigger names than Jack Dyer.”
The Richmond players were shown a short video tribute to Dyer before their Sunday afternoon clash, but the club will honour the former Richmond player and coach over the next seven days.
Frawley said the early part of this week would be emotionally driven, before Richmond plays Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday.
It will be the last time the Tigers use their old club dressing rooms before they are demolished as part of the stadium’s redevelopment.
It is also expected there will be a minute’s silence in honour of Dyer before the round 22 game.
“We’ve got to make sure that as a club we’re really unified and this will bring the club together. More importantly next Sunday we’ve got to put our best foot forward, for a number of reasons,” Frawley said.
The Richmond coach said he had only met Dyer a couple of times, but that he had made a lasting impression.
“You’ve got to be in awe of those type of people. At the end of the day when you do meet people like that, like Teddy Whitten and Jack Dyer, you realise why they’re not only champion players but champion people. He was a real gentleman, and very humble.”
“My thoughts of Jack were sitting down on a Sunday with the family watching World of Sport. I think that’s been imprinted on everyone’s (memory) - people of my age, and obviously there’s an older generation.
“The younger generation, underneath me, and I’m talking about our younger players, they’ve just got realise when you put on the Richmond guernsey, the best player at the club has just passed away.”
Acting Tiger captain Matthew Richardson met Dyer once when he attended the opening of the grandstand at Punt Road named in his honour.
“There were quite a few people there that day, and he had the whole crowd in stitches. Just his wit, and the stories he told were fantastic,” Richardson said on Sunday.
“About a dozen of us had a photo with him that day and we actually got them signed by Jack and I’ve certainly kept that at home,”
“I thought it was a pretty big day for the club (today) and we needed to make sure we had a big effort because he is basically the Richmond Football Club, and we did talk about that a little bit before the game, what he meant to Richmond.”
Could be a bit week with hopefully a few significant announcments. A few players should do the right thing and announce their retirement so they can be given a fitting farewell. NOT TO MENTION THE COACH.
7:36:38 PM Sun 24 August, 2003
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
Richmond will dedicate its final week of the 2003 season to football legend Jack Dyer.
Tigers coach Danny Frawley said the news of Dyer’s death, which came less than 24 hours before the club’s match against Port Adelaide on Sunday at Telstra Dome, had left the club in a state of shock.
“It’s been a rushed 24 hours,” Frawley said after the Tigers’ fighting 20-point loss to the ladder leader.
“We tried to pay respect to the Dyer name as best we could, but I really think that the next week will be the build-up for that. As I said it was a bit of a shock for everyone over the last 24 hours,”
“We didn’t have a lot of time to focus on that. It’s going to be a huge week for the club this week. Obviously, they don’t come any bigger names than Jack Dyer.”
The Richmond players were shown a short video tribute to Dyer before their Sunday afternoon clash, but the club will honour the former Richmond player and coach over the next seven days.
Frawley said the early part of this week would be emotionally driven, before Richmond plays Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday.
It will be the last time the Tigers use their old club dressing rooms before they are demolished as part of the stadium’s redevelopment.
It is also expected there will be a minute’s silence in honour of Dyer before the round 22 game.
“We’ve got to make sure that as a club we’re really unified and this will bring the club together. More importantly next Sunday we’ve got to put our best foot forward, for a number of reasons,” Frawley said.
The Richmond coach said he had only met Dyer a couple of times, but that he had made a lasting impression.
“You’ve got to be in awe of those type of people. At the end of the day when you do meet people like that, like Teddy Whitten and Jack Dyer, you realise why they’re not only champion players but champion people. He was a real gentleman, and very humble.”
“My thoughts of Jack were sitting down on a Sunday with the family watching World of Sport. I think that’s been imprinted on everyone’s (memory) - people of my age, and obviously there’s an older generation.
“The younger generation, underneath me, and I’m talking about our younger players, they’ve just got realise when you put on the Richmond guernsey, the best player at the club has just passed away.”
Acting Tiger captain Matthew Richardson met Dyer once when he attended the opening of the grandstand at Punt Road named in his honour.
“There were quite a few people there that day, and he had the whole crowd in stitches. Just his wit, and the stories he told were fantastic,” Richardson said on Sunday.
“About a dozen of us had a photo with him that day and we actually got them signed by Jack and I’ve certainly kept that at home,”
“I thought it was a pretty big day for the club (today) and we needed to make sure we had a big effort because he is basically the Richmond Football Club, and we did talk about that a little bit before the game, what he meant to Richmond.”
Could be a bit week with hopefully a few significant announcments. A few players should do the right thing and announce their retirement so they can be given a fitting farewell. NOT TO MENTION THE COACH.
