Max Oppy

Recruited from Kew Amateurs after a stint as a professional sprinter, Max Oppy arrived at Punt Road with a rare combination of blistering speed and physical density. He made an immediate name for himself in the 1943 Grand Final, where the teenager was deployed as a rover with a specific mission: to shut down his own cousin, Essendon superstar Dick Reynolds. Oppy executed the tagging role to perfection, nullifying the triple Brownlow Medallist to help secure a famous premiership for the Tigers. This performance early in his career displayed the discipline and determination that would become his trademark.

While he started in the midfield, Oppy is best remembered as an uncompromising back pocket who thrived on physical contact. Shifted into defence by coach Jack Dyer, he built a fearsome reputation for his bone-jarring bumps and fearless attack on the ball, earning the label from Dyer as the "player who could not be hurt." He was a relentless defender who gave opponents no space, finishing runner-up in the club's Best and Fairest in 1953. A Richmond Hall of Fame inductee, Oppy remained a key figure at the club long after his playing days, serving as senior coach for a single season in 1956.