Dick Dunn
Encyclopedia
Richard 'Dick' Dunn OAM
(1921–2006) was an Australia
n rugby league
footballer and coach in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership
(NSWRFL).
Dunn played 134 matches for the Eastern Suburbs
club in the years (1938–47). A local junior of that club, Dunn grew up idolising the senior players, carrying the kit bags of legends like Dave Brown and Ray Stehr; a few years later he was playing alongside of them. Dunn played most of his career in the centres
though in later years he moved to lock forward
. Dunn played in four premiership deciders in his career, winning in 1940
and 1945.
Dunn is best remembered for the 1945 Grand Final in which he scored 19 of Easts 22 points, a record that still stands today for the most points scored in a premiership decider. In an interview with Sean Fagan
, Dunn recalls the final minutes of the match –
Following his retirement from the game as a player he became a prominent administrator, serving as vice president of the NSWRL
and chairman of rugby league's judiciary panel. He was also the coach of Easts
in 1960, losing to St George in that year's Grand Final. For his services, Dunn was made a life member of the Eastern Suburbs, the NSWRL and Australian Rugby League
(ARL) and was a recipient of the OAM
.
Dunn was also a Sergeant in the AIF
.
At the time of his death in 2006, Dunn was aged 85.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(1921–2006) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer and coach in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
(NSWRFL).
Dunn played 134 matches for the Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
club in the years (1938–47). A local junior of that club, Dunn grew up idolising the senior players, carrying the kit bags of legends like Dave Brown and Ray Stehr; a few years later he was playing alongside of them. Dunn played most of his career in the centres
Rugby league positions
A rugby league football team consists of thirteen players on the field, with four substitutes on the bench. Players are divided into two general categories: "forwards" and "backs"....
though in later years he moved to lock forward
Rugby league positions
A rugby league football team consists of thirteen players on the field, with four substitutes on the bench. Players are divided into two general categories: "forwards" and "backs"....
. Dunn played in four premiership deciders in his career, winning in 1940
New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1940
The 1940 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the thirty-third season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football club competition, Australia's first...
and 1945.
Dunn is best remembered for the 1945 Grand Final in which he scored 19 of Easts 22 points, a record that still stands today for the most points scored in a premiership decider. In an interview with Sean Fagan
Sean Fagan
Sean Patrick Fagan is a Sydney, Australia based sports historian, author and journalist, specialising in early Australian history and particular the origins and local development of the popular football codes in Australia. He has written articles for Australian national daily newspapers, numerous...
, Dunn recalls the final minutes of the match –
“Yeah well the situation was this, the game was very, very close. They led us 10 to 5 at half time and were playing very good football.
The scores and play fluctuated and they led us with about four minutes to go by 18 to 17. We got a penaltyPenalty kickA penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
on the half way line you know. Ray StehrRay StehrRaymond Ernest Stehr was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative player whose club career was played at Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club. He has been named as one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.-Early life:Stehr was born in the country New...
[captain] says "kick for the sideline". Wally O'ConnellWally O'ConnellWally O'Connell OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team. He played in ten Tests between 1948 and 1951 as captain on one occasion...
, who will verify this of course, he was closest to me. Stehr says "which side you going to kick, so I'll go over?" I said "Don't you want the two points - it'll put us in front!" He said "Its too far for you to kick it."
Any rate I had a little bit of trouble in getting the ball onto a mound. In those days there was no sand or anything and I couldn't make a mound from the hardness of the centre, you know, the cricket pitch. So I said to Georgie Watt I'm going to kick this "LomasJames Lomas (rugby league)James Lomas was a pioneering English rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. Hailing from Maryport, Cumberland, his career lasted for twenty-four years from 1899 to 1923. A three-quarter and prominent goal-kicker, Lomas captained the Great Britain national rugby league team.Lomas was...
style" - that's an upright position of the ball you know, standing up? He said "Oh you couldn't kick that Lomas style."
And ah of course as soon as it left me boot, I said this a goer for sure. Some say it landed in the crowd. I know it landed well over the bloody post because we did have a bit of excitement by kicking it - we were winning!
Ironically, when Balmain kicked off I anticipated JorgensonJoe JorgensonCecil Keith "Joe" Jorgenson was an Australian rugby league footballer. He was a three-quarter for the Australian national team. He played in three Tests in 1946, two as captain.-Club career:...
's kick - he was a great footballer and a great goal kicker, probably a lot better than me. I says to myself he'll kick this right here, which was the 25 yard line. But of course even with us having possession of the ball there could have been a scrum and something could have happened, maybe they could've kicked 2 points with a field goal and all that.
Anyway, sure enough, I've caught the ball fortunately and this is the truth and actual facts - I punted it from our own 25 to find the line 5 yards from the corner post under the SCGSydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
scoreboardScoreboardA scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
! Right? We won the scrumScrum (rugby)Scrum , in the sports of rugby union and rugby league, is a way of restarting the game, either after an accidental infringement or when the ball has gone out of play...
against the feed and this is where LisleSel LisleSel Lisle was an Australian rugby league player, a first-grade premiership winning halfback of the 1940s who made a number of state representative appearances.Lisle played for the Eastern Sububs club from 1940-42 and 1944-47...
and O'ConnellWally O'ConnellWally O'Connell OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team. He played in ten Tests between 1948 and 1951 as captain on one occasion...
put a move on that, I'm not quite sure what the name of the move was, any rate, they went bang, bang, bang and fortunately they just passed me the ball and I scored in the corner and that really won the game. It was 22-18 with about 10 seconds to play.
Kicking for the conversion goal and I've always said it, people say "ah your bull!", I'm kicking for the goal and in my opinion no chance of missing. I had a lot of confidence and I went into the ball and just before I got into the ball the bell rang for full time you know. And it just put me off and grazed the outside upright so there was two more I would've scored!” .
Following his retirement from the game as a player he became a prominent administrator, serving as vice president of the NSWRL
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
and chairman of rugby league's judiciary panel. He was also the coach of Easts
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
in 1960, losing to St George in that year's Grand Final. For his services, Dunn was made a life member of the Eastern Suburbs, the NSWRL and Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
(ARL) and was a recipient of the OAM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
.
Dunn was also a Sergeant in the AIF
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
.
At the time of his death in 2006, Dunn was aged 85.