“Tista” De Lorenzo, the rugged Italian defender, who shrugged off a residential dispute with Melbourne, to play 10 senior games for the Tigers in 1958, has died.
De Lorenzo died January 7, 2025 aged 90, his grandson advised the club.
Recruited from Dandenong in the VFA, De Lorenzo actually first trained at Tigerland five years earlier, in the middle of the 1953 season, as an 18-year-old.
At the time he was boarding at St. Bedes College where he won their Best and Fairest and was vice captain of the Firsts.
The Argus, July 22 1953, pg 19
Standing 6ft 2in, the highly regarded defender was signed by Melbourne on March 7th 1958 after starring in their practice matches.
This infuriated the hierarchy at Tigerland, and President Harry Dyke disputed the legality of the signing with the Permit Committee.
Dyke would successfully claim the De Lorenzo was tied residentially to Richmond because he had lived in Oakleigh (Richmond’s zone) for the required 13 weeks.
“The committee has decided that when you signed the form to play with Melbourne you were residentially bound to Richmond,” the acting chairman Mr Brew announced on April 3rd 1958.
So, wearing No. 6, De Lorenzo debuted against North Melbourne in Round 9 1958 and played ten consecutive games to see out the season. (He also played 11 Reserves games between 1958-59).
De Lorenzo named at halfback in his debut.
Despite a strong pre-season in 1959 which included 13 weeks of summer training, he battled a back injury and transferred back to Dandenong on June 24th 1959.
Born John Baptista De Lorenzo on August 23rd 1934, his parents migrated to Australia from the island of Salina in early 1900s.
De Lorenzo worked in his family fruit shop in Dandenong – he was photographed there on the morning of his Tiger debut - and his post-football career saw him open his own licensed grocer shop in Noble Park, then a lunch shop in Braeside, followed by a reception venue.
In 1988 he moved up to Dimboola with his second wife Deidre and together they ran the Victoria Hotel for a decade.
Despite having played a single season with Richmond, De Lorenzo was a lifelong Richmond supporter, who managed to convert his large family to the Yellow and Black as well.
On Grand Final Day in 2017, at the age of 83, he attended a BBQ in South Australia, hosted by Adelaide Crows supporters, wearing Yellow and Black face paint and a Tiger guernsey.
The newspaper from the day of his debut. 'Tista' on the left.
