Author(s): Dan Eddy

Football/Soccer

Dick Reynolds was regarded by many as Australian Rules football's greatest player. However, unlike other well-known contemporaries he has never had his story published in this much detail. Through his on-field deeds during the 1930s and 1940s, Reynolds transformed the once struggling Essendon Football Club into a powerhouse within the Victorian Football League. His meteoric rise saw him claim a record three Brownlow Medals.Reynolds was labelled an inspiration when he led Essendon to the 1942 premiership, where his best-on-ground display brought an end to an 18-year premiership drought for the club. Reynolds then led Essendon through one of the finest eras of any side in the history of the VFL/AFL, with the Bombers playing in every Grand Final between 1946 and 1951. Despite his remarkable success, Reynolds' inability to claim a premiership as a non-playing coach saw many question his capacity to inspire a team in the same manner he had as a player. However, when he was controversiallysacked in 1960, Reynolds had the greatest winning percentage of any coach in the history of the VFL.Based on more than 180 interviews and exhaustive archival research, the life of the man affectionately dubbed 'King Richard' by the people of Essendon is outlined in its entirety. This is the story of one of Australian Rules football's finest ever servants.