Ian Ridley passed away early this morning, after a short stay in hospital.  He had been ill for a number of years. 

But, until the very end of his life, Ian Ridley was ‘Tiger’.  He was the Melbourne Football Club – its battles and its triumphs alike, its struggles and its achievements.  He was full of fire, spirit and good humour, his love of his club and the people in the game strong to the last.   Having moved from Croydon to his much loved Jamieson in recent years, his presence in the High Country ensured that the track to and from the city was well trod.

Fittingly, the Club Ambassador Award is named in his honour, and presented to a member of the playing group at the Best and Fairest each season.  His achievements are exemplified in this award – as CEO Cameron Schwab says, ‘He influenced the lives of many terrific young players as coach….he stepped up as Club President when nobody else wanted to, and when the Club needed a hero.  He courageously confronted the most difficult decision in the Club’s history, and wore the wounds unfairly.  Ian Ridley had a profound influence on five generations of Melbourne people, and it’s a very sad day.’

‘Small in inches but very big in heart.’  Jim Cardwell - the recruiting guru of the 1950s and 1960s - who knew the boy from Jeparit as well as anyone, summed Ridley up perfectly.  At only 5’7”, he was born to be a rover, and with poor eyesight, he knew the challenges that lay ahead of him.  He starred with Hamilton Imperials in the Western Border League, and caught the attention of Melbourne legend Fred Fanning, who recommended both he and Clyde Laidlaw to the Club.  It was much to Ridley’s delight that he was recruited by Melbourne, as ‘I was a Melbourne supporter anyway, so I couldn’t wait for Jimmy Cardwell to produce the Form 4 for me to sign up!’

His path was set from there.  Debuting in 1954, it was remarkable to think that his first game of football – against Carlton – was the first VFL game he had ever seen.  He missed playing in the Club’s losing Grand Final that year, but went on to be a major part of five premierships – in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1960 – and to exemplify the courage and commitment that took the team to the top.  His ratio of games to premierships was remarkable – as CEO Cameron Schwab puts it, ‘he played in a premiership every 26 games!’  Ridley was held in such high regard that the Collingwood fraternity of the day – captain Sid Coventry and coach Phonse Kyne – told Jim Cardwell that ‘the player the Pies feared most at Melbourne was Ian Ridley’.  He played in the 1958 losing Grand Final against Collingwood with a badly broken nose, and he was never daunted by obstacles.

Ridley was never lost to the Club, either.  After retirement as a player, he served as Assistant Secretary, Reserves coach (winning two premierships in 1969 and 1970), and senior coach between 1971 and 1973.  He came close to taking the side to finals in the lean early 1970s, but although they could not take that step, it was not for want of trying.   As Robert Flower would say in later years, ‘He used to have the guys bursting out the door to get stuck into it.’  His passion was unquestionable, and translated into a lifelong involvement in many areas of the game.  Director, tribunal member and Victorian selector, he was recognised for his contribution to the game with a service award in 1985, and AFL Life Membership in 1997.

At the same time, Ridley’s involvement at Melbourne’s administration increased.  Director and Vice President, he served as President from 1992 to 1996.  Tumultuous times at the end of his tenure were marked by Melbourne’s ‘merger debate’ with Hawthorn, but through it all, he stood strong in his ambition to always do the best he could for the future of the Club.  And, upon his induction to Melbourne’s Hall of Fame in 2001, he spoke strongly of his love of the red and blue colours, and his thrill that ‘it is still Melbourne!’  He was moving more slowly by the time he was elevated to Legend status in 2006, but he was still ‘Tiger’, modest and passionate about the honour as he said ‘To be elevated to the position of Legend, alongside Norman Smith and Ron Barassi, is indeed an honour.  I’m very grateful to the Club for accepting me as such.’  The announcement was received with a standing ovation. 

Ian Ridley will ever be at the heart of the Club – loyal, honest, sincere and renowned for his integrity and passion.  We share the sorrow of his passing with his wife, Jude, and family.  We will miss, but always remember, ‘Tiger’. 

Ian Ridley

Guernsey No. 24
Heritage No. 755
1954 – 1961
130 games, 228 goals
Premierships 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960

MFC Leading Goal Kicker 1960
Assistant Secretary MFC 1965-1967
MFC Reserves Coach 1968-1970 (Premierships 1969, 1970)
MFC Senior Coach 1971-1973

MFC Director 1975-1985
MFC Vice President 1979-1985
MFC President 1992-1996 (September)
MFC Vice President 1996-1997 (June)

MFC Life Member 1968
MFC Team of the Century – Emergency (2000)
MFC Hall of Fame Inductee (2001)
MFC Hall of Fame Legend (2006)
MFC Playing ‘Hero’ (2008)

V/AFL Director 1980-1984
Victorian Selector 1980-1986 (Chairman 1982-1986)
V/AFL Tribunal Member 1987-1992
V/AFL Life Member 1997

Jack Titus Recognition of Service (V/AFL – 1985)

Won the Best and Fairest with the Hamilton Imperials

Also adjudged Best in League by the Hamilton Spectator – Munro Medal