Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Douglas Burkett Green

Known as
Doug Green

Born
28 October 1951 (age 72)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 28y 244d
Last game: 28y 300d

Height and weight
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 83 kg

Senior clubs
East Fremantle; South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
South Melbourne: 5

Recruited from
East Fremantle (1980)

Hall of fame
Western Australian Football Hall Of Fame (2006)

Doug Green

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
East FremantleWAFL1970-1979, 198118100.00
South MelbourneV/AFL1980600.0050%8.333.333.174
Total1970-198118700.00

AFL: 9,184th player to appear, 9,518th most games played, 12,577th most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 1,088th player to appear, 992nd most games played, 1,393rd most goals kicked

Like all the best defenders, Doug Green combined an ability to keep even the most talented of opponents tightly under wraps with an instinctive awareness of when it was most appropriate to embark on a dashing downfield foray.

Green made his East Fremantle debut as an eighteen-year-old in 1970, when his tremendous fitness allied to great courage and dogged determination marked him out as a player of considerable potential. He made his interstate debut at the 1972 Perth carnival, and won Old Easts' top individual award, the Lynn Medal, the following year. In 1974 he was at centre half back as the side overcame Perth by 22 points in the Grand Final to lift its first flag in nine years.

Green's leadership qualities were recognised in 1975 when he took over from the departing Graham Melrose as East Fremantle's captain. The following year saw him take over as state captain and in 1977 he had the immense satisfaction of leading Western Australia to a seven-point win over South Australia in Adelaide. Not only was it the sandgropers' first win on South Australian soil since 1938, it came in a match that had been specially arranged to commemorate the centenary of the SANFL.

In 1979, Doug Green was among the best players afield as East Fremantle downed 'derby' rivals South Fremantle by 33 points in front of a record Grand Final crowd of 52,781. Shortly afterwards, Green announced his retirement, the demands of running a farming business and travelling to play football taking its toll..

Midway through the following season, however, Green received a surprise SOS call from struggling VFL side South Melbourne, who were in desperate need of greater experience in their backlines. Despite not having played or even handled a football for months, Green travelled over to Melbourne and gave the Swans solid service for the remainder of the year.

All told, Doug Green played a total of 201 senior games: 181 with East Fremantle, half a dozen for South Melbourne, and 14 for Western Australia. His tremendous consistency is evidenced by the fact that, in addition to his 1973 Lynn Medal, he was runner-up in the award on no fewer than six occasions.

In 2006 Doug Green was inducted into the Western Australian Football Hall Of Fame.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.