Doug Reynolds, the Footscray premiership player who took the field in 15 senior games at Tigerland, and won a Reserves Best and Fairest, but who always remained a Bulldog through and through, has died. He was 92.

Reynolds’ death was announced by the Western Bulldogs.

At Tigerland he played from 1958-1959 under Senior Coach Alan McDonald, as well as 13 Reserves games, and two night series matches.

Earlier he played 80 games for the Bulldogs from 1952 to 1958, including as a wingman in their famous 1954 premiership.

However in June 1958, they delisted him, much to Reynolds’ surprise.

“Ted Whitten was coaching that particular year and Ted got rid of a few players. I was gonna get the flick. Richmond came out and signed me, and the club cleared me. It all happened in about a week,” he remembered in a 2025 interview with Inside the Kennel.

Richmond had trialled five different players in the wing position that season, and locked their eyes on Reynolds as the answer.

Once signed he bypassed the Reserves side altogether and slotted straight into the Seniors, where he held his spot through the rest of the season.

Above: Debut in The Age.

Wearing No. 8 his Tiger debut was against North Melbourne, joining Doug Clarke and Tista De Lorenzo in their first appearance for the Yellow and Black. Richmond lost by 11 points.

The following year he played five senior games (all losses), and 13 Reserve games – taking home the J.D. Langdon Trophy for the Best and Fairest.

Above: 1959 Annual Report.

In March 1960 he left Richmond and joined Sorrento FC for two seasons, winning their Best and Fairest in 1961.

Born September 4 1933, Reynolds grew up in Simpson Street, Yarraville, during a decade where the country was slowly recovering from the Great Depression.

A Footscray supporter, he admired captain Arthur Olliver, and with no money to afford a football he made do with rolling up The Herald newspaper, wrapping an elastic band around it and using it as a makeshift footy on the street.

He played junior footy at Spotswood before he was invited to Footscray. Reynolds spent his entire life living in the western suburbs.

“I was disappointed I left Footscray. I thought I was still capable,” he said about the decision to play at Tigerland. “My heart was still in Footscray“.