Australian Football

The middle member of the famous Dickfos football family, Robert Dickfos was a skilful utility player with Windsor-Zillmere (and associated clubs) over many years. A Queensland Teal Cup representative in 1980, he was a member of the 1986 Brisbane Bears development squad and would certainly have played AFL football but for an indifference towards the game at the highest level in his early years. A second opportunity to play for the Bears was thwarted when, after being selected, he was ruled ineligible to a technical hitch concerning his recruitment. It was the one missing chapter in a stellar Queensland career broken only when he joined brother Michael at WAFL club Claremont in 1984, when he was named ‘Best First-Year Player’. 

Dickfos won senior AFLQ premierships with Windsor-Zillmere in 1988 and North Brisbane in 1995, claimed five Eagles best and fairest awards and was runner-up four times. He played a total of 258 senior games at State League level, officially retiring at North Brisbane in 1995 but later playing at Aspley in 1996 and 1997. Also played seven times with distinction for Queensland, highlighted by a last-minute goal against Tasmania in Hobart in 1983 to give the Maroons’ the first of an interstate series hat-trick against Tasmania in 1983, NSW in 1984, and the ACT in 1985. Dickfos has continued his involvement in the game through coaching and the mentoring of young footballers

Author - Murray Bird and Peter Blucher with Adam Cardosi