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A DROP OF DYER - Vintage 1967
- Thread starter Growl
- Start date
MAN WITH A MAGIC UPPERCUT
[from a 1967 series in The Truth entitled Jack Dyer on the best of a lifetime]
[from a 1967 series in The Truth entitled Jack Dyer on the best of a lifetime]
His only thought was to win, and he didn’t care how. He once remarked to me: “I’d take a razor out if I thought it would help.” Not that he needed a razor. He wasn’t big but he was courage plus and he didn’t mind handing out a knock.
There wasn’t a trick in the game he didn’t know or use. And in football ability he was fantastic.
His stab passes were the best I have seen. They ripped to you so fast and low that they would sap your wind if you didn’t take them properly.
Pace was his to burn although he was deceptive and moved with such ease that his pace was seldom appreciated.
Forward work was a pleasure when Geddes delivered the ball. Make a lead and that was that. He delivered the ball so that no backman could block you.
His advice to me in my first match was: “Have a go and we don’t mind if you don’t get a kick. Dog it and you play alone.”
He had the courage and aggression of a bulldog pup, perfect balance, and an uncanny ability to read the mind of the opposing player. Many times when tackled from the front, he soccered the ball through the opponent’s legs, ran around him and took the ball, with the other player floundering behind.
He came to the Tigers from Williamstown. Great players abounded in the Richmond side of the ‘30s, yet he was the player I respected most. As a rookie I was walking round the training track when a bullet-like Geddes stab kick ripped into my back. It nearly killed me.
I complained and he snarled: “ You’re supposed to be training, and you’re supposed to be looking.”
Geddes followed the footballers’ code of never putting anybody in, no matter what they did. One day a Tiger player had a nasty head wound after being trampled by an opponent. He was wild and declared: “I’ll put him in at the Tribunal if it’s the last thing I do.”
Geddes said in a quiet voice: “You don’t do those things, son.” The kid was surprised, “Why?”
Geddes replied: “Next week it might be me, and I wouldn’t like anybody to put me in. And if you squeal, everybody will be after you, including your own men.” The offender got the stretch but the kid obeyed the footballers’ code.
For a little man [173cm] he was a great protector. At Geelong big Bull Coghlan softened me up a bit so that Fritz Heifner had to deal with him and send him off to get stitches in his face. When he returned a Geelong winger kept calling: “It was Dyer, Bull.” Suddenly the calls stopped. The magic was a beautiful Geddes uppercut.
Geddes would have put the statisticians out of business. Ten kicks by Geddes from the wing would achieve eight goals. Some wingers today get 30 kicks but they don’t do as much with them as Geddes did with five. Yet he could get his 30 kicks with the best of them.
Geddes was respected at Richmond. They were frightened of him. One night a player was selected to play with the Seniors and Geddes, who was not a selector, captain or even vice-captain, snarled: “If you play that squib, we won’t play.” The Richmond committee cleared the player that night.
Geddes carried a broken rib in a semi-final and bandaged it so tight that he could hardly breathe, yet he was one of the best on the ground.
He would ask an opponent: “How do you want to play it?” Too bad if the player said: “All in.”
THE DEATH of Len Smith is a tragic loss to football, and a bitter loss to Richmond.
Len’s tactical knowledge was unsurpassed. He was quiet and unassuming but commanded respect from all players and officials.
Richmond will miss his services and his death is a great loss to football.
Len was a great team man. He put the team above every individual, including himself.
When he coached the Tigers and realised the side needed inspiration, he nominated Ron Barassi, and urged Richmond to try to win him to the club.
He cheerfully would have stood down as coach for Barassi.
When illness forced his retirement as coach of the Tigers he couldn’t give the game away.
His advice and help were a great boost and played a big part in the Tigers’ climb.
I’m sad that he won’t be there to see them take off the premiership.
Percentage will block the Saints
By JACK DYER (Truth)
By JACK DYER (Truth)
Who will miss the finals? Now, it's guess work, but I'll stick my neck out and say again that the unlucky side will be St Kilda. For the sake of the Tigers I hope I'm right.
How would you like to be one of the top five coaches? I know how little sleep they are getting these days.
I've put Carlton and Richmond safely in the four, because only a tragedy could put Richmond out, and nothing can remove the Blues.
Here are the games ahead [home games in capitals]:
CARLTON: (50 points, 129.1) to play ST KILDA, Collingwood, SOUTH.
RICHMOND: (48 points, 140.2) to play Hawthorn, ST KILDA, Geelong.
GEELONG: (44 points, 117.9) to play ESSENDON, South, RICHMOND.
COLLINGWOOD: (40 points, 133.3) South, CARLTON, St Kilda.
ST KILDA: (40 points, 126.7) Carlton, Richmond, COLLINGWOOD.
On form Carlton will win only one game, against South. So, that puts them on 54 points.
I expect Richmond to win all their remaining games, but to be scrupulously fair, I'll allow a defeat at Geelong. I expect the Tigers to beat St Kilda on the MCG next week. That gives the Tigers 56 points.
I allow Geelong two wins, although they may win only one. The odds slightly favor two wins to give them 52 points.
Collingwood should win two more - the next two - and that gives them 48 points.
And allowing for a Richmond victory, I tip two more wins for St Kilda, which gives them 48 points. This means the Saints can drop a match and make the four if they can build up their percentage.
But can they?
Carlton's defence has been tight this season and it seems the Saints will have to be content with a two or three-goal win.
St Kilda are the equivalent of almost eight goals behind the Magpies, and this week, if Collingwood cut loose against South, the leeway could be increased to a dozen or more goals.
And next week I expect the Magpies to topple Carlton, and Richmond to beat the Saints. So that would increase the goal gap.
Which means, if things go the way I predict, St Kilda will have to beat Collingwood by six or seven goals in the last match to take their place in the four. Quite a task.
But one other thought.
If Carlton lose their next two as I predict they will, and the Magpies and Saints win, Carlton will go into the last round only two points ahead of the fifth team.
Now should South happen to beat Carlton, not an impossibility on Carlton's present form, the Blues would miss the four if Collingwood and St Kilda play a draw.
Nothing is impossible this season.
But the way I see the ladder, in order of percentages, is:
Richmond 56, Carlton 54, Geelong 52, Collingwood 48, St Kilda 48.
Who got my finals ticket?
“200-Club” players miss out.
“200-Club” players miss out.
I’m not one to knock the VFL, but I’m entitled to ask a question: What happened to a number of finals tickets supposed to be sent men who have played 200 VFL games?
Some of these men, including myself, never sighted a ticket.
Are they issued, or aren’t they? If they are, where did mine go? Where did Lou Richards’ ticket go? And where was the one for Roy Wright? I won’t go into the others.
The old defence is that we are handed tickets as commentators and would not need the 200-Club ticket.
I wonder if someone gets them? The ticket is the only thing the League gives the long-term players. Why can’t I have the ticket for my father or my wife? They sacrificed a lot to let me play those games yet they have to stay home.
They are entitled to the ticket ahead of a minor official or his hangers on.
Tigers disappointed that Pies out
RICHMOND players were bitterly disappointed to see Collingwood beaten. They desperately wanted to play Collingwood in the Grand Final.
Not because they thought Collingwood were pushovers, but because they had a score to settle and a point to prove.
Last year the Magpies beat them on the MCG and started their slide out of the four.
This year the Magpies were the only team to beat Richmond on the MCG and the only side they haven’t beaten this year.
So the Richmond boys wanted to wipe the slate clean. But deep down, I’m glad the Magpies are out of the way.
As far back as I can remember Collingwood had the (un)happy knack of beating Richmond. Carlton had the habit of beating Collingwood and Richmond always beat Carlton.
It was a vicious cycle and I hope it continues this season.
* * *
Brian Hansen can be unbearable at the best of times, but this week he’s at his peak.
In Truth last week he tipped Geelong to win by five goals and that’s exactly the margin they won by — 16.12 to 11.12.
All I can say is: Accidents will happen.
FOUR FLAGS FOR TIGERS
Not only is this the year of the Tiger but also of the Tiger cubs, and every other member of the Tiger pack.
You couldn’t wipe the smile off our face with a Collingwood jumper, and that could take the smile off the sphinx.
Richmond will win the seniors, reserves, under 19 and the fourths — a feat no club has ever achieved. I haven’t seen a side in the League loaded with so much talent since the early Thirties.
I’m sticking my neck out but if this Tiger side loses the flag, there just isn’t any justice. I admit that the Magpies always worry me. But that’s only me. I don’t think they would worry this side.
So that leaves Geelong and Carlton.
The Tigers have trounced Geelong twice this year and on the MCG I can’t see the law of averages helping Geelong. On form the Tigers have them covered.
That leaves Carlton and we beat them at Carlton, and Richmond are playing a lot better now, and I don’t think Carlton have improved.
Here’s a way to lose a Grand Final
If you want to lose a Grand Final there is one certain way to do it. Go in with only one legitimate ruckman.
Collingwood and Carlton tried it with the two best individual ruckmen in the game — Len Thompson and John Nicholls.
Against Geelong in the first semi-final, Magpie Thompson was worn into exhaustion and disappeared from the game by half-time.
The Cats wore him down with lesser competitive ruckmen while Farmer who had quick bursts on him was able to conserve his strength.
Against Richmond in the second semi-final the blues tried to get by with Nicholls. Crowe rucked through the first quarter and had him a tired man when high leaping Mike Patterson took over.
The two of them exerted non-stop pressure and Nicholls had to fade from the game.
Geelong repeated the treatment last Saturday and after a brilliant opening by Nicholls the weight of numbers told.
Richmond are lucky they can throw in a couple of 6ft 5 ruckmen after losing Crowe. It would be suicide if they thought Patterson could do the job with only ruck-rovers to support him.
Any side with sights aimed on the finals next year had better learn the lesson of this year’s finals.
Orthodox rucks are an essential.
If the Tigers go into the Grand Final without 6ft.-plus support they will lose. But I think they are too astute to fall for the trap. If they do, don’t say I didn’t warn them.
TIGERS’ FLAG SO
Top hat and tails!
Top hat and tails!
THE TIGERS are the lords of the jungle again, and we must look the part. So, it was on with the top hat and tails that I haven’t worn since the English Derby in 1957.
We’ll be the silk of the football world for years to come.
Unlike Lou Richards and Collingwood. I’m gracious in my moment of triumph. I won’t gloat. I won’t rub it in.
There was only one thing lacking. We didn’t meet Collingwood in the finals.
It takes gloss off our win that we didn’t trample those Magpies and their feathers and Lou Richards and their supporters into the turf of the MCG.
But Magpies don’t win the big ones. (I’m not being a bad sport. That’s a dig at Richards who said the Tigers can’t win the big ones).
* * *
TONY JEWELL was a great team player in the final series. He’s one of the four Indians in a team of chiefs, but he did his job well.
How lucky was he that the ball didn’t come too close to him in the first 15 minutes.
“I was paralysed by nerves,” he confessed to me after the game. “I don’t think I could have moved a muscle until the quarter was half over.”
I like his ambition.
“I’ve been in a Richmond premiership side,” he said, “that was my chief ambition. Now all I have to do is win the Brownlow Medal and my dream will be complete. I’ll retire then.”
All I can say is you’ll be playing for a long time yet, Tony.
* * *
