Don Parish
Encyclopedia
Don W. Parish is an Australian former rugby league football player and coach. A goal-kicking fullback or three-quarter, he represented Australia and New South Wales, and played club football in the NSWRFL Premiership for Western Suburbs
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town of Dubbo, Parish played for the Macquarie club, becoming their first international when he was selected to go on the 1959/60 Kangaroo tour.
Parish started playing first grade in the Sydney premiership for the Western Suburbs club in the 1961 NSWRFL season and that year toured New Zealand with the Australian side. At the end of the season he played at fullback in Wests' loss to St. George in the grand final. The following season Parish was the League's top point-scorer. In 1963 he again played fullback for Wests in another grand final defeat at the hands of St George. Parish's last season playing for Wests was 1967.
's Western Suburbs club to premierships in 1969 and 1970, as well as coaching the Illawarra group team to victory in the Country Divisional Championship.
At the end of the 1971 NSWRFL season Parish was appointed to take over from Ron Watson as Western Suburbs' first grade coach. He coached the club until 1976, moving to Penrith in 1977. Half-way through the 1978 NSWRFL season, Len Stacker was appointed to replace Parish as Penrith head coach at the season's end.
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
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Playing career
Hailing from the country New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
town of Dubbo, Parish played for the Macquarie club, becoming their first international when he was selected to go on the 1959/60 Kangaroo tour.
Parish started playing first grade in the Sydney premiership for the Western Suburbs club in the 1961 NSWRFL season and that year toured New Zealand with the Australian side. At the end of the season he played at fullback in Wests' loss to St. George in the grand final. The following season Parish was the League's top point-scorer. In 1963 he again played fullback for Wests in another grand final defeat at the hands of St George. Parish's last season playing for Wests was 1967.
Coaching career
Following his retirement from the playing field, Parish coached on the Southern New South Wales coast, taking the Illawarra Rugby LeagueIllawarra Rugby League
The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs ....
's Western Suburbs club to premierships in 1969 and 1970, as well as coaching the Illawarra group team to victory in the Country Divisional Championship.
At the end of the 1971 NSWRFL season Parish was appointed to take over from Ron Watson as Western Suburbs' first grade coach. He coached the club until 1976, moving to Penrith in 1977. Half-way through the 1978 NSWRFL season, Len Stacker was appointed to replace Parish as Penrith head coach at the season's end.
External links
- Don Parish at stats.rleague.com
- Don Parish at rugbyleagueproject.org