Denis Flannery
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| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Denis James Flannery | |||||
| Nickname | Flag Pole | |||||
| Born | 2 April 1928 | |||||
| Died | 12 February 2012 (aged 83) Raceview, Queensland, Australia | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||
| Weight | 82.5 kg (182 lb; 13 st 0 lb) | |||||
| Position | Wing | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1947–58 | Brothers (Ipswich) | |||||
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1948–56 | Queensland | 27 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 1950–57 | Australia | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Toowoomba | 24 | |||||
| Source: [1] | ||||||
Denis Flannery (2 April 1928 – 12 February 2012) was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 1950s. An Australian international and Queensland interstate representative winger, he played his club football in Ipswich for the Brothers club. He has been recognised as one of Queensland's greatest ever players
Biography
A schoolboy sprint champion, he attended St. Joseph's Nudgee College.
Playing career
Although prone to injury, he made his debut for Queensland in 1948 and won his first Australian cap in the second Ashes Test of 1950, when Australia beat Great Britain 15–3 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.279.[2] Flannery also played Test football in 1951 and 1952. During the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand, Flannery played in Australia's victory in the second Test. On the 1952-53 Kangaroo tour, he scored 23 tries in 14 games, including hat-tricks against Featherstone Rovers, Doncaster and Hull Kingston Rovers.
In 1954 rugby football's first World Cup tournament was to be played in France. While playing as a three-quarter back for Ipswich's Brothers club, Flannery was selected for the Australia's 1954 Rugby League World Cup squad which failed to make the final. He continued to represent Queensland and Australia until 1956, retiring from representative football after the 1956–1957 Kangaroo tour. In total, he played 15 international games for Australia, including two World Cup games. Flannery continued with Ipswich Brothers, serving as player-coach in 1957 and 1958 before retiring at the age of 30.
Post-playing
Flannery married Norma Dempsey, daughter of the former rugby great Dan Dempsey. Flannery and his wife ran the Ulster Hotel in Ipswich, formerly owned by Dan Dempsey, for 58 years.[3] Their son, Denis, died of a childhood disease in 1970.
In June 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Flannery was named on the wing of the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century, recognised for his "sweet side-step and swerve".[4][5]
Flannery died in his Raceview, Queensland nursing home on Sunday, 12 February 2012, aged 83.[6]
References
- ↑ Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (1995). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players (with Queensland Section). Smithfield, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p. 511. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1.
- ↑ ARL Annual Report 2005
- ↑ "Historical Hotels of the Ipswich Central Business District, North Ipswich, Brassall and West Ipswich". Ipswich Library. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ↑ "Lewis leads Qld team of the century". The Age. 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ↑ Ricketts, Steve (2008-06-10). "Locky named No.1 but Wal's still King". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
- ↑ Buchan, Jay (14 February 2012). "Roos legend sadly missed". The Queensland Times. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (1995). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players (with Queensland Section). Smithfield, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p. 511. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1.
External links
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