The day so far.

[peejay]

I got to St Ignatius at about 9.45. The church was fairly full with a number of people milling around the outside. It was standing room only on in the outside, many stayed out as speakers were set up for those who could not go in.

Everyone who is anyone at Tigerland was there - I counted 4 presidents or ex and lots of other faces that i could not put a name to. standing att he back near me were Kevin Morris, Crackers keenan, Mike Sheahan, Darren Crocker and lots of acerage fans like me.

it was the full service with KB and Bob Davis speaking right at the end - about 10 minutes each. KB spoke of the first time he meet jack and role jack played during the SOS rally in 1990. Bobby spoke of Jack as a player and captain iof the Vic team which davis played in. Both spoke bery well and i think KB lost it right att he end.

The players formed a guard of honour out the front and the coffin left the church with the Tiger skin on top of it. As the outside proceedings took place i drove to Punt Road to be there for when the hurse went past the ground. I would say that there would have been about one thousand people there (punt road0 at this time.

The ground was looking great the goal squares both were filled out with a painted on Tiger jumper with 17 on it, also on the wing in front of the social club a giant version on this was painted. People were taking phoos of this. The flag pole along Punt Road had the Premiership flags flying at half mast. A barby was on for the public with invited guests upstairs in the social club for the wake.

I will shortly go back to the ground to watch the balloons let off a 1.30pm.

Will let you know how that goes later today.

[peejay]

Wow i just re read that post - i was typing at a million miles an hour so lots of errors - please excuse - was trying to get it out in time.

[peejay]

Just back from Punt Road.

If you know the area in front of the Jack Dyer stand, that was full and the the area in front of the social club was alos full.

We waited until the family arrived back from the private service and moved onto the ground. We all stood around the giant guersney with 17 on the back and waited for the President to speak.

Clinton thanked us all for coming and kept his comments short and sweet. The emblem (guernsey with number ) will be on the MCG ground this Sunday. All players will have the number 17 in gold on their jumpers just over their hearts - a great touch i thought I hope they can raise lots of money by auctioning off these jumpers - much better than the hertitage ones.

When the speeches were over they let the balloons go - they struggled a bit at first but once they got over the height of the grandstand off they went. The wind took them directly off and they headed right over the suburb of Richmond.

With a VB in my hand and as the theme song was playing we all saluted Jack. The "Yellow and Black" in the chorus had not been sung so strongly for a long time.


Thanks for giving me this time to report this, Its now onto Sunday and the game. Lets get as many as possible there.


EAT 'EM ALIVE.

[THE BOY BEAV]

great work peejay!!!!
now lift tigers do it for jack.

[rfctigerarmy]

Good onya peejay!!!!

Fantastic to hear that it was a pretty good ceremony!

[mellowyellow]

Thanks peejay.

Any idea if K.B turned up to puntroad?

[peejay]

Did not see him there - but he may have been with the explayers in the social club.

Lots of other Richmond people were there as you could imagine - saw caroline wilson chomping on a snag from the sausage sizzle.

Wayne was the most active current playing - mingling around signing autographs and was straight over to the Dyer family when the proceedings were over.