Jack Dyer’s son wants his father’s name on new Punt Road building that will replace historic grandstand
The son of Jack Dyer has been assured the Richmond legend won’t be forgotten when the grandstand named in his honour is removed for the Punt Road Oval upgrade.
Richmond
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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.
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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.
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