Des Fothergill
Encyclopedia
Desmond Hugh Fothergill was an Australian rules football
er who played in the Victorian Football League
(VFL), and briefly in the Victorian Football Association
(VFA).
From Collingwood Tech
, Fothergill was a gifted sportsman who made his VFL debut aged 16, for the Collingwood Football Club
in 1937. Fothergill was a small midfielder/half-forward who seemed too small at the start, at 172 cm and 73 kg, but his brilliance as a footballer was something that over-shadowed his liabilities. Fothergill made an impact straight away as he played brilliant football, winning a Copeland Trophy
in his debut season, and would also kick 56 goals being the club's leading goalkicker.
In 1938, Fothergill was once again be a dominant member of the side, winning his second consecutive Copeland Trophy
at the age of 18, and two years later, in 1940, Fothergill would win his third Copeland Trophy
and be the best and fairest player in the league, along with South Melbourne
player Herbie Matthews
, winning the Brownlow Medal
, playing up the ground in a midfield role.
A big change of events happened in 1941, as Fothergill and team-mate Ron Todd
would go to Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Williamstown
, with controversy as he did not receive a clearance by the VFL. Fothergill, at 20, would have left the Magpies at his prime, with three best and fairest awards and a Brownlow Medal. He was worth every cent to his new club, winning the Recorder Cup (best and fairest player in the VFA) in 1941, but with World War II, his playing days would seize in the league, and would join the army, to be forced to move on after a knee injury when up in Darwin, Northern Territory
.
In 1945, Fothergill was forced to return to Collingwood after he left without a clearance, and dominated at half-forward for the club again, despite being slower and having injury problems. He kicked 62 goals in 45 games before kicking his way onto the Leading Goalkicker Medal list in 1946, despite being overtaken in the finals by Essendon's Bill Brittingham
. He was forced to retire in 1947 due to a leg injury, and is still regarded as a true champion for the Magpies.
He was named in the Collingwood Team of the Century, as well as being an Australian Football Hall of Fame
member.
Fothergill also played 27 first-class cricket
matches for Victoria
, making 1404 runs at 39.00 with one century. He made his hundred against South Australia in 1947 and once made 99 against the Australian Services XI.
After retiring from football he moved to England and played for the Enfield Cricket Club
in the Lancashire League.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL), and briefly in the Victorian Football Association
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
(VFA).
From Collingwood Tech
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Fothergill was a gifted sportsman who made his VFL debut aged 16, for the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in 1937. Fothergill was a small midfielder/half-forward who seemed too small at the start, at 172 cm and 73 kg, but his brilliance as a footballer was something that over-shadowed his liabilities. Fothergill made an impact straight away as he played brilliant football, winning a Copeland Trophy
Copeland Trophy
The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for Collingwood during the year....
in his debut season, and would also kick 56 goals being the club's leading goalkicker.
In 1938, Fothergill was once again be a dominant member of the side, winning his second consecutive Copeland Trophy
Copeland Trophy
The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for Collingwood during the year....
at the age of 18, and two years later, in 1940, Fothergill would win his third Copeland Trophy
Copeland Trophy
The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for Collingwood during the year....
and be the best and fairest player in the league, along with South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
player Herbie Matthews
Herbie Matthews
Herbie Matthews was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League. He was recruited from suburban Fairfield under the League's "father and son" rule. His father, 'Butcher' Matthews, partnered the great Roy Cazaly in South Melbourne's ruck...
, winning the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
, playing up the ground in a midfield role.
A big change of events happened in 1941, as Fothergill and team-mate Ron Todd
Ron Todd (footballer)
Ronald Walford Todd was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League in the 1930s, and with Williamstown in the Victorian Football Association in the 1940s. Todd was an acrobatic and pacy forward, possessing a strong overhead mark...
would go to Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Williamstown
Williamstown Football Club
The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne and are currently playing in the Victorian Football League...
, with controversy as he did not receive a clearance by the VFL. Fothergill, at 20, would have left the Magpies at his prime, with three best and fairest awards and a Brownlow Medal. He was worth every cent to his new club, winning the Recorder Cup (best and fairest player in the VFA) in 1941, but with World War II, his playing days would seize in the league, and would join the army, to be forced to move on after a knee injury when up in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
.
In 1945, Fothergill was forced to return to Collingwood after he left without a clearance, and dominated at half-forward for the club again, despite being slower and having injury problems. He kicked 62 goals in 45 games before kicking his way onto the Leading Goalkicker Medal list in 1946, despite being overtaken in the finals by Essendon's Bill Brittingham
Bill Brittingham
Bill Brittingham was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .He played in the Essendon premiership teams of 1946, 1949 and 1950.-External links:*-References:**...
. He was forced to retire in 1947 due to a leg injury, and is still regarded as a true champion for the Magpies.
He was named in the Collingwood Team of the Century, as well as being an Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
member.
Fothergill also played 27 first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
, making 1404 runs at 39.00 with one century. He made his hundred against South Australia in 1947 and once made 99 against the Australian Services XI.
After retiring from football he moved to England and played for the Enfield Cricket Club
Enfield Cricket Club
Enfield Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at Dill Hall Lane in Accrington. For the 2011 season its captain is Adam Bracewell, and its professional is Werner Coetsee of South Africa. The club has won the league on 5 occasions and the cup on 4...
in the Lancashire League.