RICHMOND lost one of its all-time greats on Tuesday with the death of premiership player and former coach Max Oppy.

Oppy passed away at the age of 84 after a long battle with illness.

The Richmond Hall of Fame inductee earned his stripes as a tough defender, and played a pivotal role in the 1943 grand final win when he tagged his cousin – Essendon's captain-coach and triple Brownlow Medallist Dick Reynolds – out of the game.

Oppy played 143 games between 1942 and 1954 and finished runner-up in the Tigers' best and fairest award in 1953.

He represented Victoria on four occasions.

After retiring as a player, he returned to Punt Road as senior coach in 1956 and later served on the club's board.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, Oppy will be remembered at Tigerland for his fierce tackling and utter devotion to the yellow and black cause on and off the field.