Full Name: WILLIAM MAX OPPY
Date of Birth: 14/10/1924
Height: 175 cm ( 5-9 )
Weight: 81 kg ( 12-11 )
Guernsey: 5/14/30
Debut: 30/05/1942, Round 4, St Kilda
Last Game: 28/08/1954, Round 18, Collingwood
RICHMOND SENIORS
Seasons: 1942-54
Total Games: 185
Total Goals: 29
Honours: Premiership 1943, Victorian Representative Games 4 Goals 0
RICHMOND RESERVES
Seasons: 1942-43, 1948, 1950-51
Total Games: 20
Total Goals:
Honours:
RICHMOND SENIOR COACH 1956
BIOGRAPHY
Max was a solidly built back-pocket player who always ran straight at the ball. He was a fierce tackler who excelled at delivering bone jarring bumps. His motto was "the bigger they are the harder they fall". He was a very determined player who had great pace as a result of running professionally in his younger days. He also had the mental toughness to play with injuries which would keep most players out of the team. However injuries did prevent him from playing more games and he was restricted to just one senior game in 1949 and five in 1950. Recruited from Kew Amateurs, he received a transfer on 13 May 1942.
He was one of Richmond's best players in the 1943 Premiership win as a rover. In that game he tagged his cousin, Essendon's captain/coach and triple "Brownlow Medallist" Dick Reynolds, completely out of the game. Max won the inaugural Bill Cosgrove Memorial Trophy as the Best First Year Player in 1943. He was also a member of the 1944 Grand Final side. He represented Victoria on four occasions; won Richmond's Most Determined Trophy in 1944 and 1947; and ran second in the 1953 Best and Fairest. He was awarded Life Membership in 1951 and always delighted in playing against Collingwood and in particular Lou Richards who rated Max as one of his toughest opponents. After retiring as a player, he coached the Senior side in 1956 before joining the Richmond Committee. He later served as club Vice President for a short time. Away from football, he worked in the hotel industry for many years. Max is the father of Grant Oppy.
PRE RICHMOND
Carnegie Soldiers Juniors 1940 ; Kew 1941, Games 18.
POST RICHMOND
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