Fitting Farewell
Now the veteran of the team, Dean held his place during 1972, often playing up forward. However, disaster struck when he broke a leg on the eve of the finals and missed playing in the Grand Final when Richmond crashed to defeat after starting as one of the hottest premiership favourites ever. He found it difficult to get back to form the following year and played less than half the games during the regular season. Dean was included in the team for the semi final win over St Kilda, but he then lost his place and when it came time to pick the Tigers' Grand Final team, it was clear he would miss out due to age and form. As compensation, he was offered the captaincy of the reserves team, also playing in the Grand Final.
On 29 September 1973, the Richmond club was aiming for history with all four of its teams in line for a premiership. After the two junior teams were victorious, Dean led the reserves against Geelong in the curtain-raiser before the main game. He went out on a high, captaining the team to victory and was chaired off by his teammates in front of a crowd that was building up to 116 000. The senior team then won the flag to duly complete a clean sweep, an achievement unimaginable when Dean had joined the club as teenager. It was the end of an era in another way – Dean was the last player to have played a senior game at the club's Punt Road Oval.
Dean's retirement was absolute. He didn't play or coach at a lower level as most ex-league players do, instead opting to play competitive tennis. He remains one of the most popular players to have played for the club. A fitting tribute to Roger Dean was given by Graeme Richmond: “Pound for pound he is the best player in my time at the club."
Read more about this topic: Roger Dean (Australian Rules Footballer)
Famous quotes containing the words fitting and/or farewell:
“Children’s view of the world and their capacity to understand keep expanding as they mature, and they need to ask the same questions over and over, fitting the information into their new level of understanding.”
—Joanna Cole (20th century)
“It is impossible to say all that we think, even to our truest Friend. We may bid him farewell forever sooner than complain, for our complaint is too well grounded to be uttered.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)