|
|
If it was someone the coach wanted to, as they say these days "run straight at the ball" Robbie Dykes was a natural. None came any harder than this man. In the 70's and 80's grand final day was not complete unless Robbie Dykes was playing. Between 1975 and 1986 he was a regular and appeared in 12 consecutive TFL grand finals - a truly remarkable feat.
Dykes was a member of a great sporting family. His father, Jim Snr, was a Scottish Soccer International who captained his country. His brothers Jim and Donald also played with the Magpies and between them they amassed almost 700 league games - over 600 with Glenorchy.
|
|
|
Robbie Dykes started in 1970 as a 16 year old with Glenorchy. He tasted his first TFL premiership in 1975 under the guidance of none other than Peter Hudson
. That success was to become elusive as although Dykes played in the next 12 Grand finals he had to wait until he coached New Norfolk, his second TFL club, to gain another premiership. Following this victory in 1982 he coached for one more year in the valley before returning to Glenorchy for 3 years to play in their 1985 & 86 premierships. He retired in 1986 after 17 seasons, almost 300 games with Glenorchy and New Norfolk and 4 premierships. Dykes was a regular at State level and won the Weller Arnold Medal in 1978 and the William Leitch Medal in 1981.
|
|
|
Dykes ended his career where he started - with Glenorchy however wedged in between was a three year stint from 1981-83 with New Norfolk.
|
| While at New Norfolk he enjoyed one of his many career highlights in captaining and coaching the Eagles to their last premiership - a feat he jokingly claims cured him of coaching for all time. He paid tribute to his first year mentor at New Norfolk, John Bingley
, who he said laid the foundation for the 1982 premiership with the Eagles.
|
|
|
Winners are grinners;
the 1982 New Norfolk team celebrates their
victory.
|
|
The 1982 New Norfolk Premiership team. Pictured are Wayne Fox; fifth from left in the second row and next to him sixth from left is Graham Hunnibell
. Also pictured are Gary Williamson
; second from left in the front row, fourth from left is Michael Hunnibell
and third from right is Hedley Thompson. Next to him; fourth from left is Robert Dykes.
|
|
Dykes remembers fondly his contests with Andrew Vanderfeen
and recalled some years after their TFL days, playing on Vander in a Tasmania vs New South Wales game. After an accidental scrimmage in the goal square Vander, a little worse for wear, staggered to his feet to exclaim: "you have got me at last." To which Dykes genuinely replied; "I didn't mean it this time there's no premiership at stake."
Great players that came to mind of the era were Peter Hudson
for obvious reasons and Sandy Bay's Graeme Mackey
. Hudson, he said was uncanny in his ability to get the ball -"He was like a magnet" and his accuracy in front of goal was virtually foolproof. Mackey likewise had superb ball getting skills with his disposal and long kicking a highlight.
|
|
At the New Norfolk Football Club's 50th Anniversary dinner are pictured from left to right; former coaches Rod
Grinter, 1982 premiership coach Robert Dykes, inaugural coach Tich Edwards and 1968 premiership coach Trevor Leo
.
|
These days "Dykesy" is self employed and runs his own plumbing business, lives at Glen Lusk, near Collinsvale and is married with two children. He follows his son's sporting interests which, surprise surprise, includes football and cricket. He still follows Glenorchy and was a great believer in the state wide competition. In his day with only the six southern clubs you played one another too often and he felt the state wide concept would improve the overall standard of Tassy football.
|
|
Robbie Dykes is still a regular on grand final day and as they say in the classics:
"Any tougher, he'd rust"
|
