Dick Reynolds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | June 20, 1915, |
| Recruited from | Woodlands (Essendon League) |
| Death | September 2, 2002 (aged 87), |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 1, April 29, 1933, Essendon vs. Footscray, at Western Oval |
| Team(s) | Essendon (1933-1951) 320 games, 442 goals |
| Coaching career¹ | |
| Team(s) | Essendon (1939-1960) 415 games - 275 wins, 134 losses, 6 draws |
| ¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season | |
| Career highlights | |
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Richard Sylvannus Reynolds (June 20, 1915 – September 2, 2002), known as Dick Reynolds, the brother of Tom Reynolds, the cousin of Max Oppy, and the grandfather of Joel Reynolds, was an Australian rules football player and coach who played for, captained and coached the Essendon Bombers in the VFL/AFL competition for nearly three decades.
He played from 1933 until 1951, captain coaching the side from 1939 until 1950, and coaching after his retirement from 1951 until 1960.
Revered by Essendon supporters, he was often referred to simply as "King Richard".[1]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The most notable highlights of Reynolds career include:
- Four time premiership captain-coach (1942, 1946, 1949, 1950)[2]
- Three time Brownlow Medal winner (1934, 1937, 1938), the equal most of any player
- Seven time Essendon best-and-fairest (1934, 1936-1939, 1942, 1943), an equal club record[3]
- 320 career games, a league record at the time of his retirement
- 442 goals scored, a club record at the time of his retirement
- Chosen as one of the twelve inaugural "legends of the game" by the AFL
- Chosen in the AFL team of the century
- Ranked as the greatest ever player for the club in the "Champions of Essendon"
Off the field, Reynolds was a shy and private man, noted for his humility about his footballing achievements. Just three days before his death, after being given a standing ovation by the crowd at the "Champions of Essendon" announcement dinner, at which he was named the greatest Essendon player of all time, Reynolds was visibly moved and stated "I don't deserve this honour... Bill Hutchison was the best player I ever saw."[4]
His legacy lives on with his grandson Joel Reynolds, recruited by the Essendon Football Club in the 2001 AFL Draft. He made his debut in Round 3, 2002 against Brisbane at the Gabba, with Dick himself watching from the stands.
A statue in his honour was erected in 2004 at the Parade of Champions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Baum, Greg: The legacy of Essendon's greatest son, The Age, 7 September 2002.
- ^ Bombers farewell another Reynolds, The Age, 9 November 2002.
- ^ Johnson, Len: Hird and Lucas share medal, The Age, 2 October 2003.
- ^ Champions of Essendon Gala Dinner, Essendon Football Club, 20 August 2002.
- ^ King Richard reigns at MCG, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 20 June 2004.
[edit] References
- Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-959-17402-8
- Miller, W., Petraitis, V. & Jeremiah, V., The Great John Coleman, Nivar Press, (Cheltenham), 1997. ISBN 0-646-31616-8
- Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897-1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
[edit] External links
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| Preceded by Wilfred Smallhorn |
Brownlow Medallist 1934 |
Succeeded by Haydn Bunton |
| Preceded by Paddy Walsh |
Essendon Best and Fairest winner 1934 |
Succeeded by Keith Forbes |
| Preceded by Keith Forbes |
Essendon Best and Fairest winner 1936-1939 |
Succeeded by Hugh Torney |
| Preceded by Dinny Ryan |
Brownlow Medallist 1937-1938 |
Succeeded by Marcus Whelan |
| Preceded by Jack Baggott |
Essendon Football Club Coach 1939-1960 |
Succeeded by Harry Hunter |
| Preceded by Wally Buttsworth |
Essendon Best and Fairest winner 1942-1943 |
Succeeded by Percy Bushby |
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