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Intro | Australian rules footballer | |
Places | Australia | |
is | Athlete Football player Australian-rules footballer | |
Work field | Sports | |
Gender |
| |
Birth | 23 August 1951 | |
Age | 73 years |
Biography
David Dench (born (1951-08-23) 23 August 1951 ) is a former Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. He played his whole career with North Melbourne Football Club at one of its most successful periods.
Dench played full-back. Dench won the North Melbourne club's best and fairest award, the Syd Barker Medal, on four occasions - 1971, 1976, 1977, 1981. David Dench was one of the youngest captains appointed in the club's history. He also captained the 1977 premiership team, due to Keith Greig's absence because of an injury. In the 1977 VFL Grand Final, Ron Barassi moved him to the forward line, where he sparked North Melbourne Football Club's revival by contributing to the forward line and kicking goals, to draw with Collingwood Football Club.
Post AFL career and personal life
In 2000 Dench was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
His daughter, Michelle is a distinguished Australian sportswoman. She played high level basketball before taking up Australian football playing over 100 games for her club Melbourne University. She also represented Victoria and Australia as well as captaining her club to a premiership.
In 2008, Dench served 4 months in jail for his minor role in a scheme to defraud Victoria University out of millions of dollars.