Robert Di Pierdomenico

Robert Di Pierdomenico, known as “Dipper,” was born on May 5, 1958, in Hawthorn, Victoria. His parents, Stefano and Antonietta, immigrated to Australia from Abbateggio, Italy. Di Pierdomenico was an active child who attended several schools in the Hawthorn area, including Kew High School, Swinburne Tech, and Hawthorn West Primary School. He began playing football in his early teens for local clubs before joining the Hawthorn Football Club at age eighteen. He initially wore guernsey number 53 before changing to number 9, and played 99 reserve-grade games before solidifying his position in the senior team.

Di Pierdomenico’s AFL career officially began in 1975 with the Hawthorn Football Club. He quickly established himself as a tough and fearless midfielder, playing a crucial role in Hawthorn’s success throughout the 1980s. A significant achievement came in 1986 when he won the Brownlow Medal, tying with Greg Williams. He was also a five-time premiership player with Hawthorn, winning in 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1989. His resilience was notably demonstrated in the 1989 VFL Grand Final when he continued to play despite suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung.

After retiring from playing in 1991, having played 240 games and kicked 130 goals, Di Pierdomenico transitioned into a media career, becoming a well-known boundary rider for the Seven Network and later for radio station 3AW. He also appeared on television programs such as “Before The Game,” “Postcards,” and “Fox Footy’s Auskick’n Around.” As an AFL Auskick ambassador, he has dedicated decades to promoting Australian Rules football to younger generations across the country. Di Pierdomenico is also recognized for his advocacy in incontinence awareness, publicly addressing the topic. He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2007 and was selected for the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century.