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The New Punt Rd
- Thread starter zippadeee
- Start date
So the redevelopment of punt rd has came about because Mr Gale leaked his next 10 year plan. ‘We going to need a bigger trophy cabinet’
Only way to get it now is to build in community and other uses..... For every 20 bucks spent on AFL men facility, 20, 30 5o other uses
Jack Dyer’s son wants his father’s name on new Punt Road building that will replace historic grandstand
Glenn McFarlane
Herald Sun
November 18, 2020
(paywalled)
The son of Richmond legend Jack Dyer wants his father’s name incorporated on the new building that will replace the famous old grandstand named in his honour.
The Tigers and the Victorian State Government announced plans on Tuesday for a $60m Punt Road Oval redevelopment.
As part of the plans, the Jack Dyer Stand will be demolished and replaced by a state-of-the-art structure with new public seating and amenities, women’s changerooms, a community centre, and a function centre, with the redeveloped ground set to cater for 8000 fans for AFLW games and second-tier matches.
The proposed building, which will include the Korin Gamadji Institute, the Bachar Houli Foundation and the club’s women’s football program, will be named the William Cooper Centre after the Indigenous activist who died in 1941.
The redevelopment will also see the club boast an expanded MCG-size training oval.
Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale rang Jack Dyer Jr. on Tuesday to assure him his father’s statue would form a key part of the Punt Road master plan.
“Brendon rang me to let me know what was going on,” said Jack Dyer Jr, who himself played three games with the club in 1960.
“He explained to me what they were going to do and why they were doing it.
“The main thing I was worried about was what was going to happen to the (Dyer) statue outside the ground. I said to him ‘What are you doing to do with that?’ and he said ‘We will be looking after it’.
“I can understand why they are doing (the redevelopment). We want to see the club keep moving forward.”
Daniel Rioli poses next to the Jack Dyer statue at Punt Road Oval in 2017. Picture: Getty Images
But the 79-year-old would love to see his father’s name on the outside of the new facility, even if the centre was named after Cooper – for the sake of Dyer’s contribution and for his family who are still passionate Tigers’ fans.
“Brendon did say that Dad’s name would still be there somewhere, but he didn’t say they would name the stand after him,” Dyer Jr said.
“I’m not angry, as I’m in favour of keeping the club strong and successful.
“But I’d still love to see Dad’s name retained there somewhere.
“He gave so much to the club, not just as a player across 19 years (seasons), but for many years after that.”
It is understood the Tigers are looking at ways to appropriately honour Dyer, who carried arguably the most famous name in Richmond’s celebrated history.
Known as ‘Captain Blood’, Jack Dyer Sr was one of the toughest and best players of all-time, playing 312 games from 1931-49, and coaching the club for 12 seasons.
He went on to become one of the game’s most loved media personalities, forging a unique partnership alongside the late Lou Richards.
Dyer died in 2003, aged 89.
The Punt Rd grandstand, which was built in 1914, originally carried another name, but was re-named after Dyer in 1998 at one of his last official functions.
It remains one of the few remaining stands from the VFL’s early years.
While it is not heritage listed, it has heritage overlay, which means planning approval is required before demolition.
Richmond legend Jack Dyer with his son Jack Dyer Jr.
Dyer Jr said his father would have been delighted by the three flags the club has won across the past four seasons.
“He would have loved to have seen it happen,” he said.
“If he and Lou (Richards) were still around, I’d love to listen to what both of them would be saying.”
Dyer Jr watches the Tigers from afar now, given his blood pressure rises whenever he watches them play.
“I don’t watch them play in the flesh now,” he said.
“My wife laughs at me, but my blood pressure goes up that high.
“I couldn’t watch on Grand Final night … it wasn’t until my wife yelled out that we were 30 points in front, that I thought ‘That’s OK, I can watch now’.”
He said the Dyer family were still passionate Tiger fans, and were extremely proud of his father’s achievements.
Glenn McFarlane
Herald Sun
November 18, 2020
(paywalled)
The son of Richmond legend Jack Dyer wants his father’s name incorporated on the new building that will replace the famous old grandstand named in his honour.
The Tigers and the Victorian State Government announced plans on Tuesday for a $60m Punt Road Oval redevelopment.
As part of the plans, the Jack Dyer Stand will be demolished and replaced by a state-of-the-art structure with new public seating and amenities, women’s changerooms, a community centre, and a function centre, with the redeveloped ground set to cater for 8000 fans for AFLW games and second-tier matches.
The proposed building, which will include the Korin Gamadji Institute, the Bachar Houli Foundation and the club’s women’s football program, will be named the William Cooper Centre after the Indigenous activist who died in 1941.
The redevelopment will also see the club boast an expanded MCG-size training oval.
Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale rang Jack Dyer Jr. on Tuesday to assure him his father’s statue would form a key part of the Punt Road master plan.
“Brendon rang me to let me know what was going on,” said Jack Dyer Jr, who himself played three games with the club in 1960.
“He explained to me what they were going to do and why they were doing it.
“The main thing I was worried about was what was going to happen to the (Dyer) statue outside the ground. I said to him ‘What are you doing to do with that?’ and he said ‘We will be looking after it’.
“I can understand why they are doing (the redevelopment). We want to see the club keep moving forward.”
But the 79-year-old would love to see his father’s name on the outside of the new facility, even if the centre was named after Cooper – for the sake of Dyer’s contribution and for his family who are still passionate Tigers’ fans.
“Brendon did say that Dad’s name would still be there somewhere, but he didn’t say they would name the stand after him,” Dyer Jr said.
“I’m not angry, as I’m in favour of keeping the club strong and successful.
“But I’d still love to see Dad’s name retained there somewhere.
“He gave so much to the club, not just as a player across 19 years (seasons), but for many years after that.”
It is understood the Tigers are looking at ways to appropriately honour Dyer, who carried arguably the most famous name in Richmond’s celebrated history.
Known as ‘Captain Blood’, Jack Dyer Sr was one of the toughest and best players of all-time, playing 312 games from 1931-49, and coaching the club for 12 seasons.
He went on to become one of the game’s most loved media personalities, forging a unique partnership alongside the late Lou Richards.
Dyer died in 2003, aged 89.
The Punt Rd grandstand, which was built in 1914, originally carried another name, but was re-named after Dyer in 1998 at one of his last official functions.
It remains one of the few remaining stands from the VFL’s early years.
While it is not heritage listed, it has heritage overlay, which means planning approval is required before demolition.
Dyer Jr said his father would have been delighted by the three flags the club has won across the past four seasons.
“He would have loved to have seen it happen,” he said.
“If he and Lou (Richards) were still around, I’d love to listen to what both of them would be saying.”
Dyer Jr watches the Tigers from afar now, given his blood pressure rises whenever he watches them play.
“I don’t watch them play in the flesh now,” he said.
“My wife laughs at me, but my blood pressure goes up that high.
“I couldn’t watch on Grand Final night … it wasn’t until my wife yelled out that we were 30 points in front, that I thought ‘That’s OK, I can watch now’.”
He said the Dyer family were still passionate Tiger fans, and were extremely proud of his father’s achievements.
Thanks Big Tiger - I fully support your views. We are slowly losing the essence of PRO, and for what purpose? Could the support of the various social programs be acheived by using office space elsewhere, and keep PRO for football. Note that the well respected museum have vanished - why? If the woke or corporate dollar is king then why not sell out to Apple or have a nice McDonalds outlet at PRO ?
I would hope that the business case for this $60m expenditure be emailed to each member.
Clearly we are going all-in on women's footy (the men's facilities must already be at least adequate given recent results). The ground being expanded to MCG size is a "nice to have" but again, based on recent results, far from essential.
This what I meant earlier by questioning what things will look like in 30 years. Women's footy is no sure thing despite being pushed very hard.
Yeah the whole, training ground must be the size of the MCG, is a nonsense really.
Hard to rename the oval as it has been known as Punt Rd for so long.
The whole centre is already named, but the redevelopment has 2 stands - so, Jack Dyer Stand and Dus . . . Stand?
Yes we have to respect the history, but we also have to look to the future. The future is not only men's footy, it is also women's footy, community etc. This is the way the world is now, it wasn't this way 50 years ago. It is a balancing act but I like that they are building in community facilities and facilities for women's footy. I reckon part of the is that the men's team will have the Swinburne Centre without having to share it which will mean it will be less crowded and I figure they will have access to the new facilities too.
We all love the MCG but look at it - none of the stands I used to sit in when I was a kid exist any more. The SCG has kept it's heritage better, but, it does not have the 100,000 capacity either. Where do we draw the line with heritage? The reversible stand with cricket played inside the MCG and football outside? There is no right answer, but there are infinite opinions.
DS
The whole centre is already named, but the redevelopment has 2 stands - so, Jack Dyer Stand and Dus . . . Stand?
Yes we have to respect the history, but we also have to look to the future. The future is not only men's footy, it is also women's footy, community etc. This is the way the world is now, it wasn't this way 50 years ago. It is a balancing act but I like that they are building in community facilities and facilities for women's footy. I reckon part of the is that the men's team will have the Swinburne Centre without having to share it which will mean it will be less crowded and I figure they will have access to the new facilities too.
We all love the MCG but look at it - none of the stands I used to sit in when I was a kid exist any more. The SCG has kept it's heritage better, but, it does not have the 100,000 capacity either. Where do we draw the line with heritage? The reversible stand with cricket played inside the MCG and football outside? There is no right answer, but there are infinite opinions.
DS
As with a lot of things it comes down to money. In a perfect world I think the club would prefer to preserve the stand. Someone posted this photo on another forum - Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres baseball team. At first I thought it was 'shopped! Very clever and no doubt very expensive. In a perfect world...
The club could never generate the money required for the redevelopment by itself and has hitched its wagon to various current fads that governments are keen to spend money on, and the Dyer Stand is the pound of flesh exacted. So when the question put is effectively "What price heritage?", it becomes pretty much a no-brainer for some, presumably including the board. It's an opportunity too good to pass up. As someone who tends to favour the practical over the symbolic, I find it hard to say definitively that the club is doing the wrong thing. It's just... sad.
I think the club maybe hesitant to rename the oval with the potential for a sponsor to have naming rights , that would cause more outrage changing from Jack Dyer oval to say nib oval.
We must do something to ensure his name lives on at the ground somehow, perhaps its a chance to ensure all our club legends get honoured (ensuring the ability to honour future legends too).
We must do something to ensure his name lives on at the ground somehow, perhaps its a chance to ensure all our club legends get honoured (ensuring the ability to honour future legends too).
Sad?As with a lot of things it comes down to money. In a perfect world I think the club would prefer to preserve the stand. Someone posted this photo on another forum - Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres baseball team. At first I thought it was 'shopped! Very clever and no doubt very expensive. In a perfect world...
The club could never generate the money required for the redevelopment by itself and has hitched its wagon to various current fads that governments are keen to spend money on, and the Dyer Stand is the pound of flesh exacted. So when the question put is effectively "What price heritage?", it becomes pretty much a no-brainer for some, presumably including the board. It's an opportunity too good to pass up. As someone who tends to favour the practical over the symbolic, I find it hard to say definitively that the club is doing the wrong thing. It's just... sad.
I would hate us to go down the Coll and Carl and Gee route where the ground name changes every three years.
No, what we need is a balcony for VFL/AFLW games, proper pub grub, Richmond memorabilia, food and drink discounts for members, a venue to watch interstate games, and to be open during non-RFC events at the MCG so the club can make create a new revenue stream.
Yeah. Sad that the stand has to go.
The Royal Historical Society of Victoria mentioned it in their annual report:
By accident or design, the above action obviously didn't get to the stage it needed to.
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