Australian Football

At a time when football was rapidly becoming more business-like and overtly professional in its outlook, Denis Cordner played out his entire VFL career as an amateur. Despite the fact that his older brothers, Ted and Don, were both playing for Melbourne, Denis had no real aspirations toward league football, but when he came home to Melbourne on three weeks' leave from the navy in 1943 he was persuaded to try out with the Redlegs' reserves. After a couple of creditable displays, he won selection in the senior team to play Richmond. On what was the final weekend of his leave of absence he put in another highly serviceable display, despite being pole-axed moments after the opening bounce by a Jack Dyer anxious to ensure that the youngster went away with a full appreciation of the verities of league football.

Despite impressing Melbourne officials with his fortitude and commitment it was to be another five years before Cordner again represented the club. When he returned from war service in 1946 he embarked on a three-year university course during which time he played football in the Victorian Amateur Football Association for University Blacks. With Cordner starring in the ruck, the Blacks won successive A Section flags in 1946, 1947, and 1948. Then, a week after the last of these premierships, Denis Cordner's Melbourne career was unexpectedly resurrected in the most dramatic fashion. 

The Redlegs had won through to the Grand Final, but were faced with a dilemma after centre half back Alan McGowan was suspended for the big match. Perhaps recalling the prowess he had displayed five years earlier, or maybe at the instigation of his elder brother Don, who was now skippering Melbourne, the Redlegs hierarchy handed the centre half back position to young Denis, who far from letting anyone down proved to be one of the best players afield as Melbourne and Essendon fought out a gripping draw. He again played well the following week as the Redlegs clinched an emphatic win, so that after just three VFL games he had achieved something that eludes many players for their entire careers, a VFL premiership. (Brother Don, however, had managed the feat even more quickly seven seasons earlier.)

In 1949, Denis Cordner was back at Melbourne, this time as a permanent member of the side, and his form was so good that he earned selection in the VFL interstate team. Revered by his team mates for his passionate, never say die approach, Cordner belied his 193cm, 89kg stature by putting in many of his best performances in wet weather. Indeed, many observers who saw him play still rate him as the best wet weather ruckman of all time.

Melbourne struggled during the early 1950s, but when they emerged from the doldrums with a 28-point Grand Final win over Collingwood in 1955 Denis Cordner, who led the ruck, was a widespread choice as best afield. The following year he was again prominent as the Demons once more beat Collingwood on grand final day. Now aged thirty-two, however, he decided it was time to bring the curtain down on a 152-game VFL career which had spawned two Melbourne best and fairest awards, numerous accolades and plaudits, regular interstate representation, but not a single penny of hard cash. 

This combination of supreme talent, and a devotion to the game completely divorced from financial considerations, makes Denis Cordner one of the archetypal heroes of the Melbourne Football Club, status that was emphasised in 2000 with his inclusion in the Demons' official 'Team of the Century'.

Author - John Devaney