Full name | Douglas James McLean[1] | ||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 15 April 1880[1][1] | ||
Place of birth | Brisbane, Queensland [1] | ||
Date of death | December 1947[1][1] | ||
Notable relative(s) | Jeff, Peter & Paul McLean | ||
Rugby league career | |||
Position | Winger | ||
National teams | |||
Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
1908 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
Rugby union career | |||
Playing career | |||
Position | centre[1] | ||
National team(s) | |||
Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
1904-05[1] | Australia | 3[1] | (3)[1] |
Douglas James "Doug" McLean (15 April 1880 – December 1947) was a pioneer Australian representative rugby union and rugby league footballer, a dual-code international. He also represented Queensland in rugby league.[2]
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Born in Brisbane, Queensland McLean earned his debut as a centre with the Australian representative team playing against Great Britain, at Brisbane, on 23 July 1904. In total he played three tests, twice against the touring Great Britain side in 1904 and then in New Zealand the following year.
He was a foundation Australian rugby league footballer at the code's formation in Sydney in 1908 and played on the wing in the first ever Australian rugby league Test against New Zealand in Sydney in 1908.
McLean was one of five former Wallabies who debuted for the Kangaroos in that inaugural Test along with Dally Messenger, Micky Dore, Denis Lutge and Johnny Rosewell.
Since his two rugby league Test appearances were made as a 1908 rebel [3] before a Brisbane club competition began in 1909,[4] Doug McLean senior, like George Watson was a Kangaroo with no rugby league club career.
Doug Snr was the patriarch of an extraordinary rugby union dynasty with three of his sons and three of his grandsons also playing for Australia.
His sons Doug McLean, Jnr., Bill McLean and Jack McLean were Wallabies with Doug jnr also one of Australia's Dual-code rugby internationals. A fourth son Bob had two sons who represented for Australian in rugby union - Jeff McLean and Paul McLean, along with their cousin Peter McLean (Bill's son). See McLean Family (rugby footballers).