The house at 285 Francis St, Yarraville, owned by former Footscray player Doug Reynolds, was auctioned on Saturday.
A house in Melbourne’s inner west owned by 1954 Bulldogs Premiership player Doug Reynolds scored a solid sale at a Saturday auction.
The footballing great is remembered for kicking a goal in that year’s grand final that became the Western Bulldogs’ first Premiership win.
Ray White Williamstown director and auctioneer Dean Stanley said the three-bedroom home at 285 Francis St, Yarraville, had been Reynolds’ home for decades.
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“He’d been there since about 1960, he and his wife had bought their kids up there,” Mr Stanley said.
Now aged 91 years old, the former Footscray and Richmond VFL player has downsized, with family including his siblings helping to sell the residence.
The abode features two bathrooms, a large living and dining area, hardwood floors, high ceilings, a rumpus room and carport.
Bulldogs Cody Weightman, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards and Tom Liberatore with Doug Reynolds (centre) at Whitten Oval in 2024. Picture: Supplied.
Ray White Williamstown director and auctioneer Dean Stanley said the house has been well-loved and maintained across the years.
A 1980s reunion of the 1954 Footscray premiership team with past players in the front row including Ray Bevan, Wally Donald, Doug Reynolds, Ron Stockman and Jim Gallagher.
The auction began with a $750,000 bid. When a buyer followed that up with a $5000 increase, Mr Stanley jokingly told him it was too hot for such a small offer – with the weather forecast predicting that Melbourne was heading for a top of 33 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
“We had three genuine bidders, it was on the market at $880,000 and sold for $965,000 under the hammer,” Mr Stanley said.
“I think the bidding sequence lasted about six minutes in total.”
The house is close to Wembley Primary School, the Wembley Ave shops, sports reserves and Cruickshank Park.
1954 Footscray Premiership players Angus Abbey, Ron Stockman and Doug Reynolds with younger player Rohan Smith in 2003, when the senior trio were made life members of the club.
One of the three bedrooms in the house.
Ron McCarthy (left) and Doug Reynolds, members of Footscray’s 1954 grand final team, at the 1980s reunion.
The successful bidder was a young woman attending her first-ever auction, while the underbidders included a couple and a buyer’s advocate.
“To have three genuine bidders and another one who didn’t get a chance to bid is a good sign,” Mr Stanley said.
He said that the Reserve Bank of Australia’s February decision to cut the nation’s official cash rate target to 4.10 per cent – the first rate cut since November 2020 – had provided a confidence boost to home buyers who were worried about interest rates potentially rising further in 2025.
“The interest rate drop was not a magic wand but was positive news, which has been a positive sign for the industry,” he added.
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