Jack Dyer: The Tributes
afl.com.au
8:58:49 PM Sat 23 August, 2003
From the moment Jack Dyer's passing,
at 89, was announced on the screen at Telstra Stadium on Saturday, tributes
began flowing for the Richmond and AFL legend.
Richmond games record-holder, Kevin Bartlett:
"He was a person who led his
troops into battle. He was famous for his courage. He was famous for how hard he
attacked the ball. Sometimes, people forget that he was a brilliant
player."
AFL chief executive, Wayne Jackson:
"It's a celebration of a life
and what a man has given to a football club. It's very, very sad for the family,
but a celebration of what someone like Jack can contribute to a club, our
society and to a game."
Four-time Richmond premiership coach, Tom Hafey:
"Commiserations of course to all
his family, but he’s left a legacy that’s going to be hard for anybody to
overtake as far as the Tigers are concerned. I’m quite certain that if you cut
him in half, he would bleed black and yellow."
Former Magpies captain, media personality, Lou Richards:
"Jack put Richmond on the map.
Everyone knows that Jack was part of Richmond more than the Richmond Football
Club. He was a natural entertainer. He didn't know he was, but he was. That was
the beauty of Jack, because he was such an innocent guy. He never tried to be a
smarty. The Footscray council and Footscray football club erected a statue for
Ted (Whitten) - I think it's about time we thought about doing the same thing
for Jack.
AFL legend, Ron Barassi:
Knowing Jack, he wouldn't want us to
be sombre. He was a marvellous figure in football - a legend. I was told by my
coach, Norm Smith that he rated Jack very highly as a player. And of course as a
personality, he was second to none. He was an absolute Aussie character."
Essendon coach, Kevin Sheedy:
"It will be a sad loss, but the
best issue I always say to a lot of people is that your memory is a video, and I
can always just move straight back onto somebody who is deceased and I love them
because of the good times. I can always remember. I can relate back to Jack and
have some beautiful memories of a guy called Jack Dyer. Tiger fans should
celebrate a beautiful person. He meant a lot to a lot of people."
Richmond 1980 premiership coach, Tony Jewell:
“The first time I met him, I couldn’t believe this great man had no view of himself as being anything other than an ordinary bloke. There’s something about the (Punt Road) ground that just seems to say – this is Jack Dyer’s home. He just sort of lives in every crack and cranny. And the club song just seems to be written about Jack Dyer.