Des English

Australian rules footballer

Australian rules footballer

Des English

Personal information
Date of birth|  (1956-01-22) 22 January 1956 (age 69)
Original team(s)|  Eaglehawk
Debut|  Round 4, 1980, Carlton vs. South Melbourne, at Princes Park
Height|  178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight|  86 kg (190 lb)
Playing career1
Years|  Club|  Games (Goals)
1980–1986|  Carlton|  104 (6)

1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1986.

Career highlights

* 2 x VFL premierships: 1981, 1982
* 1× VFL Team of Year: 1983

Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Des English (born 22 January 1956) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1980s. Regarded as a tireless and absolutely reliable team player and defender, English played in the Carlton premiership sides of 1981 and 1982. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 1986 and never played again although he eventually recovered.

Carlton's emphatic return win against Hawthorn in the 1987 Grand Final, played out in record breaking September heat was largely attributed inspirationally and motivationally by the Carlton players to the real-life battles of teammates English, after his cancer diagnosis and Peter Motley, after a career-ending car accident. This moment in 1987 is notable for Peter Dean's words spoken on the dais at the game's end: 'Motts..... Dessie...... you're f--king bloody beautiful!!' The episode is something of a legend in Carlton history, inspiring future generations in similar situations.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Walls, Robert (17 August 2003). "Ramanauskas' illness will turn Dons into tighter unit". The Age. Retrieved 12 February 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Des English's playing statistics from AFL Tables
* Des English at AustralianFootball.com

* v
* t
* e

Carlton Football Club 1981/82 VFL premiers

1981: Carlton 12.20 (92) defeated Collingwood 10.12 (72), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
1982: Carlton 14.19 (103) defeated Richmond 12.13 (85), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

* 3\. Fitzpatrick (c)
* 4\. Bosustow
* 5\. Sheldon
* 6\. Bortolotto
* 7\. Johnston
* 9\. Hunter
* 11\. Doull
* 13\. Maylin
* 14\. Ashman
* 15\. Perovic
* 16\. Buckley
* 17\. English
* 32\. Glascott
* 33\. McConville
* 34\. Marcou
* 36\. Maclure
* 37\. Harmes

Coach: Parkin

* v
* t
* e

1983 VFL Team of the Year

Full-back line|

* Des English (Carlton)
* Gary Malarkey (Geelong)
* Gary Ayres (Hawthorn)

Half-back line|

* Ken Hunter (Carlton)
* Ross Glendinning (North Melbourne)
* Russell Greene (Hawthorn)

Centre line|

* Robert Flower (Melbourne)
* Terry Wallace (Hawthorn)
* Geoff Cunningham (St Kilda)

Half-forward line|

* Tim Watson (Essendon)
* Terry Daniher (Essendon)
* Maurice Rioli (Richmond)

Full-forward line|

* Simon Madden (Essendon)
* Bernie Quinlan (Fitzroy)
* Leigh Matthews (Hawthorn)

Ruck|

* Mark Lee (Richmond)
* Michael Tuck (Hawthorn)
* Brian Royal (Footscray)

Interchange|

* Billy Picken (Collingwood)
* Mark Browning (Sydney)

Coach|

* Allan Jeans (Hawthorn)

← 1982

1984 →

* v
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Victorian team – 1983 State of Origin

South Australia 26.16 (172) defeated Victoria 17.14 (116), at Football Park, 16 May 1983, crowd: 44,521
Western Australia 16.22 (118) d Victoria 16.19 (115), at Subiaco Oval, 12 July 1983, crowd: 44,213

Both games|

* Cunningham
* Daniher
* Flower
* Icke
* Madden
* McCann

vs. South Australia|

* Ashman
* Clarke
* Cordy
* Edmond
* Elphinstone
* Hawker
* Lawrie
* Marcou
* McConville
* Mossop
* Rowlings
* Serafini
* Sheldon
* G.Smith
* Wilson
* Yeates

vs. Western Australia|

* Browning
* Buckley
* Conlan
* Dench
* English
* Greene
* Greig
* Johnston
* Knights
* Lee
* Raines
* Royal
* Tuck
* Wallace
* Watson
* Weightman

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