Roger Dean, the man described by legendary Richmond administrator Graeme Richmond as “pound for pound” the best player he saw throughout his time with the Tigers, is celebrating his 80^th birthday.

Dean, regarded as Richmond royalty, was elevated to ‘Immortal’ status at the Club last year.

His playing career at Tigerland started when he tried out with the fourths, as a 15-year-old, in 1956.

He played in the fourths premiership side that season and the following year completed a meteoric rise through Richmond’s ranks.

During the 1957 season, Dean graduated from the fourths, to the under-19s, and then the reserves, before making his senior league debut with the Tigers in the final home-and-away round against eventual premier team Melbourne.

It wasn’t until 1961, however, that he firmly established himself as a regular member of Richmond’s senior side.

Initially, Dean made his name as a half-forward, winning the Club’s leading goalkicker award in 1964.

He then had an extremely successful stint in the back pocket – minding the opposition’s resting rovers and making life hell for them with his tough, uncompromising style of play – before returning to the forward line for the final part of his league career. 

Although only 175cm and 73kg, Dean was a ‘pocket rocket’ – a strong, bold, fiercely determined player. Those qualities combined to make him such an inspirational leader.

Dean was vice-captain and a key member of Richmond’s drought-breaking 1967 premiership side. 

He took over the Club’s captaincy the following year and went on to captain the Tigers from 1968-71, including the 1969 Grand Final triumph over Carlton.

After playing in Richmond’s 1973 reserve-grade premiership side, Dean announced his retirement from league football.

He’d played 245 senior games all-up and kicked 204 goals in a wonderful career with the Tigers.

In 1999, when Richmond announced its Team of the Century, Dean was named on a half-forward flank.

Dean also was one of the Tigers’ inaugural Hall of Fame inductees, and he’s been a Club Life Member since 1964.

The reverence in which Dean is held by his former teammates is clearly highlighted through the words of three of them – Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke and Michael Green. Here’s what each of those Tiger greats had to say about him . . .

Bartlett on Dean

“Roger Dean was the most loved player during my time at Richmond. Every teammate adored him and admired him . . . Roger played in the back pocket in the 1967 premiership win over Geelong. Everyone seems to remember Fred Swift’s great match-saving mark in the last quarter, but everyone forgets that Roger Dean took a courageous mark right on the goal-line as well. He was an extraordinary mark . . .

“Off the field he was the quietest and most thoughtful person you could ever meet, but as soon as he ran down the race he became a dynamo. When he put on the No. 3 Richmond jumper, it was like Clark Kent changing into Superman.

“He was ferocious with his attack on the ball and he wasn’t frightened to hand out a bit of biffo . . . Roger was a master at getting 15-metre penalties. He would have the ball and be running towards goal, but rather than kick the ball, he held on to it until the very last second so he would get crunched just as he was kicking. The umpire had to pay a free kick down the field. It shows you how tough he was: deliberately getting hit, as he was about to kick.”

Bourke on Dean

“Roger epitomised what it meant to be a true Tiger. He was a warrior of a player, and not so big either. It should be remembered that Roger officially was only 175cm tall – but he played like a giant. He could jump with the ruckmen, he could mix it on the ground with anyone, he could read the play. In fact, he played in many positions.

"He never forgot the tough times. He always reflected on his tough upbringing around the streets of Richmond . . . When I came to Richmond, as a young man, he was one of the players who went out of his way to make me feel welcome, even though I was only playing in the reserves at that stage of my career.

"I’m sure others, like me, got the benefit of Roger’s human qualities like that, and you never forget those things, either.”

Green on Dean

“Roger, as a person, is a gentleman, and a gentle man. He was neither as a player. Roger was an extremely brave player and an extremely courageous player. In an era of football, which was far dirtier than today, when there were lots of punches and lots of elbows, Roger never took his eye off the ball and always gave 100 percent . . .

"And Roger was an extremely gifted player. He had beautiful balance, lovely clean hands, he didn’t fumble the ball, he didn’t fall over. And, as a small person, he had a terrific, vertical leap. He could really spring and take a mark. In fact, taking a very good mark for a small person was maybe Roger’s X-factor.

"He was a wonderful player, someone who I loved playing with, and was inspiring to play with . . . He was a wonderful captain. I think Roger was the best captain I played with because he was so brave and so selfless and did everything that you would ask a player to do.”