Finding Jack Dyer

On November 15 2013, fans of Australian football will celebrate the 100th birthday of the most famous Tiger of all time—Jack ‘Captain Blood’ Dyer. Ten years since his death, the real story of the renowned Tiger hardman has not been told in any detail, other than in caricature and hype, much of it promoted by the man himself during his illustrious media career. We know he was a football hero during the Depression era and WWII eras, a premiership player, coach and enforcer who by the end of his 312-game career had broken 64 collarbones (well, so he said). We also know he was a master of brutalising the English language and one of football’s first TV, print and radio celebrities.