Tigers pay tribute to a key figure
March 17 2003
No. 17 holds a special significance for fans, writes Stephen Rielly.
Apart from the unlikely sighting of a wistful Paul Broderick fan or a member of the Paul Hudson appreciation society, no one will see the number 17 on the back of a Richmond jumper in 2003.
The number that Tiger fans like to believe was written with the blood of the vanquished into Richmond history by Jack Dyer was retired for at least 12 months yesterday.
Sadly, Dyer, still very much the patriarchal figure in the Richmond story, was unable to witness the ceremony held in his honour at Punt Road.
As his grandson, John Devine, was accepting from president Clinton Casey a jumper bearing his grandfather's number, Dyer, 89, was keeping his peace in the Kew retirement village that is his home.
"Big crowds confuse him a bit these days," Devine said later.
The ceremony was nevertheless a celebration, certainly so for the 15 people representing four generations of the Dyer family who gathered at Punt Road for the occasion and later repaired to the Wantirna home of Dyer's daughter, Jill, and her husband, Warren Devine.
John Devine believes that two families have existed in Dyer's life and saw yesterday as a meeting of the two.
"We love Pa and he loves the Richmond Football Club," he said.
The jumper he accepted on behalf of the Dyer clan, before 4000 or so of the yellow-and-black family, will be framed and hung in the lounge room of his Donvale home.
"I went in and visited him yesterday, to talk with him about it," Devine said. "He's going OK. I told him about the jumper and the presentation and he understood everything.
"I drop in every second week on the way home from work and my Mum goes in virtually every day."
Retiring a number necessarily means that a significance is attached to it at the time when it is returned to service. Devine said that Dyer, or at least the Dyer descendants, won't mind who is awarded the number in future as long as they possess two qualities.
"Anyone who loves the club and has some of the qualities Pa loved - good, hard footy," Devine said.
He adds that while it is no longer possible for Dyer to attend matches, his grandfather's passion for football and its robust arts, for which he won notoriety and acclaim, remains.
"He's got a TV in his room and still gets pretty feisty when Richmond are on," Devine said. "He doesn't talk about himself much but loves talking about the old days and the Whittens, the way they played the game."
March 17 2003
No. 17 holds a special significance for fans, writes Stephen Rielly.
Apart from the unlikely sighting of a wistful Paul Broderick fan or a member of the Paul Hudson appreciation society, no one will see the number 17 on the back of a Richmond jumper in 2003.
The number that Tiger fans like to believe was written with the blood of the vanquished into Richmond history by Jack Dyer was retired for at least 12 months yesterday.
Sadly, Dyer, still very much the patriarchal figure in the Richmond story, was unable to witness the ceremony held in his honour at Punt Road.
As his grandson, John Devine, was accepting from president Clinton Casey a jumper bearing his grandfather's number, Dyer, 89, was keeping his peace in the Kew retirement village that is his home.
"Big crowds confuse him a bit these days," Devine said later.
The ceremony was nevertheless a celebration, certainly so for the 15 people representing four generations of the Dyer family who gathered at Punt Road for the occasion and later repaired to the Wantirna home of Dyer's daughter, Jill, and her husband, Warren Devine.
John Devine believes that two families have existed in Dyer's life and saw yesterday as a meeting of the two.
"We love Pa and he loves the Richmond Football Club," he said.
The jumper he accepted on behalf of the Dyer clan, before 4000 or so of the yellow-and-black family, will be framed and hung in the lounge room of his Donvale home.
"I went in and visited him yesterday, to talk with him about it," Devine said. "He's going OK. I told him about the jumper and the presentation and he understood everything.
"I drop in every second week on the way home from work and my Mum goes in virtually every day."
Retiring a number necessarily means that a significance is attached to it at the time when it is returned to service. Devine said that Dyer, or at least the Dyer descendants, won't mind who is awarded the number in future as long as they possess two qualities.
"Anyone who loves the club and has some of the qualities Pa loved - good, hard footy," Devine said.
He adds that while it is no longer possible for Dyer to attend matches, his grandfather's passion for football and its robust arts, for which he won notoriety and acclaim, remains.
"He's got a TV in his room and still gets pretty feisty when Richmond are on," Devine said. "He doesn't talk about himself much but loves talking about the old days and the Whittens, the way they played the game."
