Gary Dempsey
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | November 22, 1948 , |
| Recruited from | Hastings, Victoria |
| Height and weight | 1.97 m / 100 kg |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 1, 1967, Footscray vs. Geelong, at Kardinia Park |
| Team(s) | Footscray (1967-1978)
207 games, 122 goals North Melbourne (1979-1984) 122 games, 39 goals |
| ¹ Statistics to end of 2006 season | |
| Career highlights | |
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- For the Irish football (soccer) player, see Gary Dempsey (footballer).
Gary Dempsey (born November 22, 1948) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League. He is one of the greatest ruckmen in Australian rules football history and was renowned in his playing days for his athleticism and marking skills.
Dempsey made his debut for Footscray in 1967. In 1969, he spent six weeks in hospital after being burnt by a bushfire near his home in Truganina and was told he would never play football again. Despite this, he defied the odds to return to the playing field and then win his first club best-and-fairest award in 1970. Dempsey would win the club best-and-fairest award five more times, underlining his importance to the underachieving Bulldogs.
Although he had won a stack of individual awards, Dempsey yearned for team success and signed with North Melbourne in 1979, winning the club best-and-fairest in his first year there. He played out his career at the Kangaroos, playing 122 games for them, and retired in 1984. Dempsey was named an emergency in the Kangaroos Team of the Century.[1]
Dempsey finished in the top 10 in the Brownlow Medal 13 times and to date has polled more Brownlow votes then any player in history. He was named an All-Australian Team member at the 1972 Perth carnival.
In 1996 Dempsey was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
He was named as first ruckman in the Footscray's Team of the Century.
Player honors:
- Brownlow Medal 1975
- Runner-up Brownlow Medal 1970
- Footscray best and fairest 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
- North Melbourne best and fairest 1979
- Footscray captain 1971-1972, 1977-1978
- Footscray/Western Bulldogs Team of the Century
- North Melbourne/Kangaroos Team of the Century
- All-Australian 1972, 1982 (VFL)
- Victorian representative (22 games, 8 goals)
- Represented Australia in "The Galahs" Australian Football World Tour 1968.
[edit] Post playing career
Dempsey was appointed Specialist Ruck Coach of the Carlton Football Club at the end of the 2005 season.
[edit] References
- Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers, p. 59. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X.
- AFL: Hall of Fame
| Preceded by Keith Greig |
Brownlow Medallist 1975 |
Succeeded by Graham Moss |
