Rob Dickson
Robert Dickson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 November 1963 Box Hill, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 10 April 2009 (aged 45) |
| Occupation(s) | Australian rules footballer, filmmaker, reality TV contestant |
| Known for | Winning the inaugural season of Australian Survivor |
Robert Dickson (14 November 1963 – 10 April 2009) was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL, a filmmaker, and the champion of the inaugural season of the reality competition Australian Survivor.
Early life and education
Born in Box Hill to parents Rick and Effie Dickson, Robert was one of six siblings. He attended St Pauls College in Traralgon, Victoria. During his employment with the National Safety Council of Australia, he acquired helicopter piloting skills and developed a passion for amateur filmmaking, documenting extensive footage at the Hawthorn Football Club throughout his athletic career.
Football career
Dickson entered the VFL playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in 1988 after being recruited from Morwell, Victoria. Standing 180 cm tall and weighing 75 kg, he mainly featured as a midfielder. Although frequently assigned to the reserves, he was named as an emergency player for the 1989 VFL Grand Final. Across three seasons from 1988 to 1990, he appeared in 17 matches and kicked 12 goals for Hawthorn. In 1991, he transferred to the Brisbane Bears, where he was part of their reserves team that won the premiership that year.
Media career
Following his football tenure, Dickson pursued a career in film directing. He created several television documentaries including The Passion to Play, Shane Crawford Exposed, and The Essence of The Game. These projects were commissioned by the AFL to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football in 2009.
Australian Survivor
Dickson competed as one of sixteen participants on the debut season of Australian Survivor, broadcast by the Nine Network in 2002. As a member of the Tipara tribe, which excelled in tribal immunity challenges, he enjoyed a dominant 7–3 majority following the merge. The Tipara alliance systematically voted out members of the opposing Kadina tribe before turning inward.
At the final six stage, Dickson forged a new alliance with Sciona Browne and Joel Betts, securing an agreement to reach the final three together. Although Betts survived a tied vote due to having fewer previous votes against him, Dickson claimed victory in the final immunity challenge and subsequently voted out Betts, who had intended to lose that challenge to enable Dickson and Browne to advance to the Final Two. Ultimately, Dickson won the grand prize of A$500,000 by a jury vote of 5-2 over Browne.
He announced plans to use his winnings to support his South African mother-in-law’s immigration process to Australia.
In 2020, Dickson was honored with induction into the inaugural Australian Survivor Hall of Fame.
Death
On 11 April 2009, Dickson and his five-year-old son Byron lost their lives in a car accident while vacationing in South Africa. Reports indicated that Dickson failed to yield when executing a U-turn. His eldest son Gabriel, aged eight, succumbed to injuries from the crash four days later. His wife Dusty survived the incident. Dickson holds the distinction of being the first winner from any Survivor franchise to pass away.