Create an experience with Dale Weightman

Tenacious, fleet of foot, and highly skilled, Dale Weightman's 1985 Tassie Medal was fitting reward for a player whose performances in a 'Big V' jumper were seldom other than exemplary. During a time when his club, Richmond, was suffering something of an ignominious decline, Weightman appeared increasingly to regard interstate fixtures as being effectively equivalent to finals football, and he approached games against Western Australia and South Australia with the same intensity, pride and determination as he had the 1980 VFL Grand Final against Collingwood.

Always a highly effective and eye-catching interstate performer, Weightman - known popularly as 'the Flea' - was at his peak in 1985, a season which saw Victoria re-establish its pre-eminence in the interstate arena after several seasons playing second - or even third - fiddle.¹ Given a proverbial armchair ride by the consummate supremacy in the ruck of his Richmond team mate Mark Lee, Weightman cut both South Australia and Western Australia to ribbons in successive near best afield performances.

Dale Weightman's achievements as a player, which include triple All Australian selection and two Richmond best and fairest awards in addition to his Tassie Medal, are all the more remarkable when you consider that he suffered from diabetes - not that anyone watching him play with such energy, verve, determination and aggression could ever possibly have guessed.