Denis Cordner

DOB: 28 June, 1924
Died: 1990

Debut: Round 5, 1943 against Richmond at Punt Road
Last Game: Grand Final 1956 against Collingwood at MCG

Games: 152
Goals: 82
Career Statistics (external link)

Wins	Draws	Losses	Winning %
85	3	64	55.92

From: Melbourne Grammar/University Blacks

Number: 17 1943, 1 1948-1956

Honours
Premiership Player - 1948, 1955, 1956
Grand Final team - 1954
Captain - 1951 - 1953
Best and Fairest - 1950, 1954
Victorian state player - 1949, 1951, 1952, 1955
Team of the Century - Ruckman
Life Member
150 Heroes selection

The brother of Don, John and Ted began his career in 1943. He had been persuaded to try out with the reserves while on leave from the Navy and impressed enough to earn a senior game.

Dropped cynically by Jack Dyer just before the first bounce, Cordner played a creditable debut but it was his last weekend of leave. 'Captain Blood' later apologised, saying he thought he was hitting older brother Don?. Denis returned to the Navy in 1946 and while studying at Melbourne University started playing for University Blacks in the amateurs.

Having won three Section A flags in a row with Cordner in the ruck. The Demons recalled him for the drawn 1948 Grand Final after five years in the wilderness. He had played a game with the seconds in 1945 while on leave, but it was as captain/coach of the Blacks that he had made his name. In fact he had won his third premiership just a week before. He played at centre-half back that day, a position alien to him, and watched Essendon boot themselves out of the match with 7.27 for the day. He was prominent in the replay a week later earned a premiership in his third game. Amazingly it wasn't the fastest rise to a flag in family history, Don had done it in two games in 1941.

A permanent member of the side in 1949, Denis became known as one of the best wet weather ruckmen in the competition while also playing cameo roles in the backline. That year he was runner-up to Len Dockett in the Best and Fairest He played 18 games that year, and 19 in 1950 when he also kicked 36 goals and went one better in the "Bluey" count, beating home Lance Arnold to win his first club championship.

Appointed captain in 1951, he earned 14 Brownlow Medal votes and finished equal fifth despite playing in just one victory for the seasons. The next year, in an improved side, he finished in the top ten again.

1953 saw the side crash back to 11th on the ladder, but Cordner still managed nine votes in the medal and played 18 games.

Handing over the captaincy to the returning RAAF hero Geoff Collins in 1954, Cordner was one of the major reasons that the side bounced back from the bottom of the ladder all the way to a Grand Final. The Demons lost, but they were on the verge of another glory era. Cordner won his second B&F the next year and played in the Grand Final triumph over Collingwood.

Cordner was elected as Centre Half Back in the 1952 Sporting Life "Team of the Year", and Ruck/Rover in the 1955.

The pressure of running a business and trying to play a league career eventually caused Cordner to retire after the 1956 Grand Final. He had missed just one match with injury in his nine year career. He had played his entire glorious career as an amateur and that year captained a combined VFA/VFL Amateur team against the VAFA in an exhibition match for the Melbourne Olympics.

He was named as the ruckman in the Team of the Century

Retiring from his business committments in 1980, Cordner was appointed Australian Consul-General in New York and later became chairman of John Holland Construction and Australian Motor Industries as well as a director of BP and Plessey Pacific.