Des Fothergill
| Des Fothergill | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Noimage | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Original team(s) | Collingwood Tech | ||
| Debut | 1937, Collingwood | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
|
Collingwood (1937-40; 1945-47) 111 Games, 337 Goals | |||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2006. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
|
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Des Fothergill (born July 15, 1920) was a former Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL/AFL.
From Collingwood Tech, Fothergill was a gifted sportsmen who made his VFL/AFL debut aged 16, for the Collingwood Football Club in 1937. Fothergill was a small midfielder/half-forward who seemed too small at the start, at 172cm and 73kg, but his brilliance as a footballer was something that over-shadowed his liabilities. Fothergill made an impact straight away as he played brilliant football, winning a Copeland Trophy in his debut season, and would also kick 56 goals being the club's leading goalkicker.
In 1938, Fothergill would once again be a dominant member of the side, winning his second consecutive Copeland Trophy at the age of 18, and two years later, in 1940, Fothergill would win his third Copeland Trophy, but be the best and fairest player in the league, along with South Melbourne player Herbie Matthews, winning the Brownlow Medal, playing up the ground in a midfield role.
A big change of events happened in 1941, as Fothergill and team-mate Ron Todd would go to VFA club Williamstown, with controversy as he did not receive a clearance by the VFL. Fothergill, at 20, would have left the Magpies at his prime, with three best and fairest awards and a Brownlow Medal. He would be worth every cent to his new club, winning the Recorder Cup (best anf fairest player in the VFA) in 1941, but with World War II, his playing days would sieze in the league, and would join the army, to be forced to move on after a knee injury when up in Darwin.
In 1945, Fothergill would be forced to return to Collingwood after he left without a clearance, and would dominate at half-forward for the club again, despite slower and having injury problems. He would kick 62 goals in 45 before kicking his way to becoming the Leading Goalkicker Medallist in 1946, despite overtaken in the finals by Essendon's Bill Brittingham. He would be forced to retire in 1947 due to a leg injury, and still regarded as a true champion for the Magpies.
He was named in the Collingwood Team of the Century, as well as being a Hall of Fame member.