Dyer, Jack

Jack Dyer, byname of John Raymond Dyer, (born Nov. 13, 1913, Oakleigh, Vic., Austl.—died Aug. 23, 2003, Melbourne, Vic.), Australian rules football player renowned for his toughness. One of the game’s greatest players, he was credited with perfecting the drop punt kick (dropping the ball and kicking it before it touches the ground), heralding the demise of the drop kick and stab pass (two types of kicks that involve letting the ball hit the ground before kicking it).

Nicknamed “Captain Blood” (for the popular Errol Flynn film of the time) for his fierce play, Dyer believed that “anything goes as long as you can get away with it.” And he seemingly got away with much on the field, as he won six Best and Fairest (top player) Awards (1932, 1937–40, 1946). He appeared in 312 games (1931–49) for the Richmond (Vic.) Football Club. Playing rover, follower, and full-forward, Dyer scored 443 goals and won two league championships (1934, 1943). He was captain and coach of Richmond from 1941 to 1949 and continued coaching until 1952. He also played 16 interstate matches for Victoria.

After retirement, Dyer enjoyed a successful media career as a radio commentator until 1992 and then continued as a columnist. In 1996 he was inducted into the Australian Football League Hall of Fame and elevated to Legend status.