View Full Version : Clen Denning (1938 - 1947)
Grimreepah
30 Mar 2010, 13:31
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/3026/clendenning.jpg
Grimreepah
30 Mar 2010, 13:31
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clen_Denning)
Clen Charles Denning (28 February 1911 – 9 November 2009) was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Soon after he turned 16, Denning played for VFA club Oakleigh. He got his start in the VFL after a long wait when Oakleigh coach Frank Maher moved to coach the Carlton Football Club. Denning debuted with Carlton in 1935.
In 1938 he crossed over to the Fitzroy Football Club, and was said to be unhappy at Carlton. He scored 37 goals in 1939 to be their leading goalkicker. From then on he focused more on a defensive role, becoming a back pocket. He represented Victoria at interstate football in 1941 and in 1944 was back pocket in Fitzroy's premiership side.
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/3026/clendenning.jpg
Career Statistics (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/C/Clen_Denning.html)
Grimreepah
30 Mar 2010, 13:31
Clen Denning remembered (http://www.lions.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5085/newsid/86790/default.aspx)
11:14 AM Tue 30 March, 2010
The Brisbane Lions AFC mourns the passing of former Fitzroy great Clen Denning who passed away peacefully on Monday 9 November 2009 aged 98 years and 11 months.
He played 23 matches with the Blues before he was transferred to Fitzroy at the end of 1937 where he spent the next ten seasons. Denning led Fitzroy’s goal-kicking in 1939 with 37 goals before settling into the back pocket where he was a valuable contributor in Fitzroy’s 1944 premiership side.
He played a total of 159 VFL matches, kicked 59 goals and represented Victoria in 1941 before eventually hanging up the boots in 1947.
The Brisbane Lions players will wear black armbands this Thursday night to remember him.
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3026/clendenning.jpg
Denning was the oldest living VFL/AFL player and the last surviving member of Fitzroy’s final premiership side of 1944.
Vipertooth
30 Mar 2010, 17:41
What a sad thing to happen :(
Sounds like he had a great football career and he lived till he was nearly 100, very good effort!
A nice touch to remember him on Roster Watch. Onya Grim.
Vale.
Grimreepah
30 Aug 2011, 23:27
Link (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/121560/default.aspx)
IT WAS not quite the six goals from six kicks that Carlton's Clen Denning kicked in 1935, but young Bulldog Jason Tutt has produced a memorable start to his AFL career, booting three goals with his first three kicks.
Link (http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Clen+Denning)
There are numerous examples of players who have a kicked a goal with their first one, two, three or even four kicks in VFL/AFL competition - but Clen Denning holds a unique place in the history of Australian Football. In his first game for Carlton in 1935, he kicked six goals with his first six kicks!
Denning inherited his unusual first name from his father. A schoolboy star as a clever rover or centreman, the 179 cm, 79 kg Denning made his debut for VFA club Oakleigh only a month after his 16th birthday, and soon was being courted by a number of VFL clubs, all of which he rejected.
Then in 1934, Oakleigh's coach Frank Maher won the senior post at Carlton for the following season, and eventually convinced his young star to join him at Princes Park. Denning was 23 when he made his slashing debut.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3026/clendenning.jpg
Grimreepah
31 Aug 2011, 02:50
1944 premiership team (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_VFL_Grand_Final)
B: Clen Denning Fred Hughson (c) Alan Fields
HB: Laurie Bickerton Norm Hillard Arthur O'Bryan
C: Bruce Calverley George Hoskins Noel Jarvis
HF: Stan Dawson Stan Wright Noel Price
F: Maurie Hearn Ken Sier Keith Stackpole
Foll: Bert Clay Jack Symons Allan Ruthven
Reserve(s): Dan Murray
Coach: Fred Hughson
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6026/keithstackpole.jpg
1944 Fitzroy premiership side