Denis Flannery facts for kids
.jpg)
Flannery in 1952
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Personal information
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Denis James Flannery | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 April 1928 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 February 2012 (aged 83) Raceview, Queensland, Australia |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Playing information
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82.5 kg (13 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Denis Flannery (born 1928, died 2012) was a famous Australian rugby league player. People sometimes called him "Flag Pole." He played as a winger in the 1940s and 1950s. Denis played for Australia and for his home state, Queensland. He was also a star player for the Brothers club in the Ipswich Rugby League. Many people remember him as one of Queensland's best players ever.
Contents
About Denis Flannery
Denis Flannery was born on April 2, 1928. When he was a student, he went to St. Joseph's Nudgee College. He was a very fast runner and became a school sprint champion.
His Rugby League Career
Denis started playing rugby league for the Brothers club in the Ipswich Rugby League. Even though he sometimes got injured, he was a very talented player.
Playing for Queensland
In 1948, Denis played his first game for Queensland. This was a big step in his career. He continued to play for Queensland until 1956.
Playing for Australia
In 1950, Denis earned his first "cap" for Australia. A cap means he played for the national team. This happened in a game against Great Britain. Australia won that game 15 to 3. Denis is known as "Kangaroo No. 279" in the Australian Players Register. This number shows he was the 279th player to represent Australia.
He also played for Australia in 1951 and 1952. During a tour by the French rugby league team in 1951, Denis helped Australia win a test match. In 1952 and 1953, he went on a special tour called the "Kangaroo tour." On this tour, he scored 23 tries in just 14 games! He even scored three tries in one game, which is called a hat-trick, against teams like Featherstone Rovers and Doncaster.
The First Rugby League World Cup
In 1954, the very first Rugby League World Cup was held in France. Denis was chosen to be part of Australia's team for this important event. He played as a three-quarter back for his club team, Ipswich's Brothers. Australia's team did not make it to the final that year.
Denis kept playing for Queensland and Australia until 1956. He played a total of 15 international games for Australia, including two World Cup games. He stopped playing for the national and state teams after the 1956-1957 Kangaroo tour.
Retirement from Playing
Denis continued to play for Ipswich Brothers. In 1957 and 1958, he was a player-coach, meaning he played and coached the team at the same time. He retired from playing rugby league at the age of 30.
Life After Rugby League
Denis Flannery married Norma Dempsey. Her father, Dan Dempsey, was also a famous rugby player. Denis and Norma ran a hotel called the Ulster Hotel in Ipswich for 58 years. This hotel used to belong to Norma's father. Sadly, their son, Denis, passed away in 1970 from a childhood illness.
In 2008, which was 100 years since rugby league started in Australia, Denis Flannery received a special honor. He was named on the wing of the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century. This means he was recognized as one of the best players in Queensland's history. People remembered him for his "sweet side-step and swerve" on the field.
Denis Flannery passed away on February 12, 2012, at the age of 83. He died in a nursing home in Flinders View, Queensland.
