Dennis Phillis
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Personal Info | |
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Birth | , |
Recruited from | Glenelg, (SANFL) |
Height/Weight | 187cm / 90.5kg |
Playing Career¹ | |
Debut | 1966, Glenelg vs. , at |
Team(s) | Glenelg, (SANFL) (1966-1981)
274 games, 853 goals |
¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season | |
Career Highlights | |
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Dennis Keith "Fred" Phillis is an Australian rules footballer who was a prolific goal scorer, playing his entire senior career with SANFL club Glenelg in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Phillis was nicknamed "Fred"[1] when his schoolmates likened him to the most famous Test cricket paceman of the day, 'Fiery Fred' Truman of Yorkshire and England. The nickname stuck and to many SANFL fans he is only known as "Fred" Phillis rather than by his birth name.
[edit] History
Phillis is the brother of South Australian rules footballer Wayne "Butch" Phillis, who also played his career at Glenelg. "Fred" began his senior career with Glenelg in the SANFL in 1966 as a centre half back but was moved into the Centre half-forward, and later Full-forward, positions by incoming 1967 coach Neil Kerley. This lateral thinking paid off with Phillis kicking a then SANFL record of 137 goals in 1969.
He polled 18 votes in the 1969 Magarey Medal to be the first player to win the medal having played chiefly at full forward for the season.
In perhaps Glenelg's most memorable non-finals game, Phillis scored 18 goals at Glenelg Oval in 1975 as part of the team's record-breaking 49 goals against Central District. Quirkily enough, in the 1973 grand final win by Glenelg over North Adelaide he failed to goal.
Phillis is the highest goal scorer in the history of the Glenelg club. This is all the more remarkable when considering that former league leading goalkickers Jack Owens (1927-1928, 1932) and Colin Churchett (1948-1951) are also Glenelg champions. Overall Phillis is third on the all time SANFL goalscoring list.
After retiring as a player Phillis continued to pursue his chosen career as an architect.