Berto "Robert" DiPierdomenico (born 5 May 1958) is a retired

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who represented in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

(AFL) from the 1970s to the 1990s. Popularly known by his nickname "Dipper", DiPierdomenico is one of the most successful

Italian Australian Italian Australians ( it, Italiani Australiani) are Australians with Italian ancestry. Italian Australians constitute the sixth largest ancestry group in Australia, and one of the largest groups in the global Italian diaspora. At the 2021 c ...

s to play Australian football, and his contribution to the game was recognized by selection in the

VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century The Victorian Football League-Australian Football League (VFL/AFL) Italian Team of the Century was announced in June 2007. It recognises the role of Italian Australian players in the sport. Players and/or at least one of the player's parents or ...

Early life

DiPierdomenico was born in Hawthorn to parents Stefano and Antonietta, who had emigrated to Australia from

Abbateggio Abbateggio is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. DiPierdomenico's parents were married by proxy, meaning they were married over the phone. A hyperactive child who had a stutter, Dipper attended numerous schools in Hawthorn and neighbouring areas, including Kew High, where he met his future wife Cheryl Bayley, and Swinburne Tech, where his headmaster was his future Hawthorn coach, John Kennedy Senior, DiPierdomenico began playing football in his early teens for local clubs East Hawthorn and North Kew before signing for VFL club Hawthorn as an eighteen-year-old. As a youngster, DiPierdomenico played cricket and would bowl left arm over the wrist.

AFL career

Beginning his career with the

Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Mulgrave, Victoria, that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was founded in 1902 in the inner-east suburb of Hawt ...

in 1975, DiPierdomenico started slowly, playing 99 reserve-grade games as he flitted between first team and reserve-grade football. He kick-started his career in 1978, culminating in a best-on-ground performance in the 1978 VFL Grand Final. DiPierdomenico was initially assigned guernsey number #53, but subsequently wore number #9. Typically, he was considered one of Hawthorn's best players. He was known for his toughness (which led to many trips to the Tribunal), and the moustachioed Dipper was one of the much-loved, and most media-covered characters in the VFL during the 1980s. DiPierdomenico won the

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the " best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by ...

, in 1986 tying with Greg Williams, who was playing for

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

at the time. During that season, DiPierdomenico was considered very fortunate to have avoided the VFL tribunal, and consequent ineligibility for the Brownlow. Later in the week, he would win his third Premiership medallion as the Hawks defeated Carlton by 42 points. Late in the first quarter of the

1989 VFL Grand Final The 1989 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Geelong Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 1989. It was the 93rd annual grand final ...

, DiPierdomenico was running backwards to take a mark when he was met solidly from behind by

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

star Gary Ablett. The force of the collision broke several of DiPierdomenico's ribs and punctured one of his lungs. Despite the pain, and being unaware of the extent of the damage, DiPierdomenico continued to play until the final siren. He collapsed shortly after the game and was rushed to the casualty ward of St. Vincent's Hospital, where doctors found out that DiPierdomenico had punctured a lung. He recounted the gravity of the situation years later:

"By this time I'd been shifted into intensive care. The doctor came in and said if they didn't gag me I was gone... So there you are. I had eight days in hospital to think about what might have happened. To tell you the truth, it scared me."

DiPierdomenico went on to play 240 games and kick 130 goals with the Hawks, retiring in 1991, and participating in five day and four night premierships during one of the most successful eras that a VFL/AFL club has ever achieved.

Playing statistics

, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 38 , , 1 , , 0 , , 0 , , 4 , , 0 , , 4 , , 0 , , , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 4.0 , , 0.0 , , 4.0 , , 0.0 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 38 , , 0 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 38 , , 0 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 21 , , 1 , , 2 , , 179 , , 75 , , 254 , , 32 , , , , 0.0 , , 0.1 , , 8.5 , , 3.6 , , 12.1 , , 1.5 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 15 , , 1 , , 2 , , 170 , , 87 , , 257 , , 49 , , , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 11.3 , , 5.8 , , 17.1 , , 3.3 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 16 , , 2 , , 2 , , 191 , , 96 , , 287 , , 43 , , , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 11.9 , , 6.0 , , 17.9 , , 2.7 , , , - style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 12 , , 5 , , 4 , , 127 , , 45 , , 172 , , 36 , , , , 0.4 , , 0.3 , , 10.6 , , 3.8 , , 14.3 , , 3.0 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 9 , , 3 , , 2 , , 67 , , 37 , , 104 , , 23 , , , , 0.3 , , 0.2 , , 7.4 , , 4.1 , , 11.6 , , 2.6 , , , - style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 17 , , 7 , , 14 , , 205 , , 89 , , 294 , , 68 , , , , 0.4 , , 0.8 , , 12.1 , , 5.2 , , 17.3 , , 4.0 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 24 , , 23 , , 30 , , 335 , , 166 , , 501 , , 112 , , , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 14.0 , , 6.9 , , 20.9 , , 4.7 , , , - style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 17 , , 12 , , 20 , , 227 , , 97 , , 324 , , 62 , , , , 0.7 , , 1.2 , , 13.4 , , 5.7 , , 19.1 , , 3.6 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 25 , , 23 , , 17 , , 360 , , 211 , , 571 , , 101 , , , , 0.9 , , 0.7 , , 14.4 , , 8.4 , , 22.8 , , 4.0 , , , -style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 24 , , 16 , , 18 , , 317 , , 201 , , 518 , , 120 , , 67 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 13.2 , , 8.4 , , 21.6 , , 5.0 , , 2.8 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" ,

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 21 , , 13 , , 15 , , 351 , , 112 , , 463 , , 89 , , 66 , , 0.6 , , 0.7 , , 16.7 , , 5.3 , , 22.0 , , 4.2 , , 3.1 , -style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 1989 , style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 24 , , 19 , , 18 , , 353 , , 142 , , 495 , , 96 , , 70 , , 0.8 , , 0.8 , , 14.7 , , 5.9 , , 20.6 , , 4.0 , , 2.9 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 13 , , 5 , , 5 , , 180 , , 76 , , 256 , , 61 , , 18 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 13.8 , , 5.8 , , 19.7 , , 4.7 , , 1.4 , -style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 9 , , 1 , , 0 , , 3 , , 11 , , 4 , , 15 , , 0 , , 2 , , 0.0 , , 3.0 , , 11.0 , , 4.0 , , 15.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 240 ! 130 ! 152 ! 3077 ! 1438 ! 4515 ! 892 ! 223 ! 0.5 ! 0.6 ! 12.8 ! 6.0 ! 18.8 ! 3.7 ! 2.7

Media career

After DiPierdomenico retired, he became a popular media personality as a

boundary rider Boundary rider is a long-established (1864) Australasian term for a cattle or sheep station employee whose duties entail a regular tour (by horse, camel or motor vehicle) of the outer perimeter (boundary) of the property, checking condition of f ...

with the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

. After Seven lost the rights to broadcast AFL in 2001, DiPierdomenico continued his tradition as a boundary-rider on radio station

3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...

. DiPierdomenico also worked at

Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs f ...

as their AFL expert in the mid 2000s. In the 1990s, DiPierdomenico made an appearance, along with

Dermott Brereton Dermott Hugh Brereton (born 19 August 1964) is an Australian former professional Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League (AFL) who is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Of Irish descent (his p ...

and Adrian Barich, in a charity

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

match and scored a try, and in comedic fashion dived over the line in a fashion similar to

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

to celebrate. In 2010, he was stood down from his role in the

Auskick Auskick is a program designed to teach the basic skills of Australian rules football (AFL) to boys and girls aged between 5 and 12. Auskick is a non-contact variant of the sport. It began in Australia and is now a nationwide non-selective pro ...

junior development program after making a racist remark regarding

Gavin Wanganeen Gavin Adrian Wanganeen (born 18 June 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), and also for the Port Adelaide Magpies in ...

. DiPierdomenico made a cameo in the TV series ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

'' in 1999, and he appeared on the Channel 9 weight-loss show ''Excess Baggage'' in 2012. Since 2019, he has been hosting the TV series ''Dipper's Backyard BBQ Wars''. Dipierdemenico appeared in adverts for department store Dimmeys in the 1990s. Dipper was the 7th person evicted on the seventh series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in 2021. He is the first celebrity to bowl a strike in a sushi eating challenge.

Career highlights

1986 (tie) *

Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...

2007 *

Bibliography

*Butler, Ben and Binnie, Craig (2007). "Dipper's tax bill nightmare." ''Herald Sun''. 5 September. *Cometti, Dennis (2004). ''Centimetre Perfect''. London: Allen and Unwin. *(1991). "Dipper Decides to Call it Quits." ''The Advertiser''. 4 October. *Edwards, Mike (2007). "Time of the essence for kids, says Dipper." ''Herald Sun''. 13 August. *Kartal, Y (1992). "The club a party to Dipper's debut." ''Northern Territory News''. 7 June.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dipierdomenico, Robert 1958 births Living people Australian radio personalities Australian rules football commentators Australian people of Italian descent Australian television presenters Brownlow Medal winners Hawthorn Football Club players Hawthorn Football Club Premiership players Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Victorian State of Origin players Australia international rules football team players I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (Australian TV series) participants Five-time VFL/AFL Premiership players People from Hawthorn, Victoria