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Dick Reynolds

Personal information
Birth	20 June 1915(1915-06-20)
Recruited from	Woodlands
Death	2 September 2002 (aged 87)
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 1, 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 1960 season
Career highlights
Brownlow Medallist 1934, 1937, 1938 Essendon Premierships 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950 Essendon Captain-coach 1939-1950 Essendon Best and Fairest 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1943 Inducted as a "Legend" in the Australian Football Hall of Fame 1996 Victoria state representative 19 times Member of the AFL Team of the Century

Richard Sylvannus 'Dick' Reynolds (born 20 June 1915, died 2 September 2002) was an Australian rules footballer and coach who represented Essendon and Victoria with great distinction. Reynolds had several relatives who also became League footballers, including his brother Tom, cousin Max Oppy, and grandson Joel.

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]

Overview

Dick Reynolds statue

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
• 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 family's link with Essendon continued when his grandson Joel Reynolds was selected by the club in the 2001 AFL Draft. He made his debut in Round 3, 2002 against Brisbane at the Gabba, with Dick watching from the stands.

A statue in his honour was erected in 2004 at the Parade of Champions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.^[5]

Footnotes

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
• Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 546. ISBN 1-74095-001-1.

External links

• Player profile: Dick Reynolds (Essendon Football Club)