Palman Qui Meruit Ferat
| Clen Denning Eulogy |
Firstly I would like to thank all those present today for coming here to join with us to celebrate the life of a wonderful father and friend.
Clen Charles Denning was born in Collingwood to Clendon Thomas Denning and Agnes Denning( nee Gunther ) on the 28 / Feb / 1911 .
He lived with his brother Jack and sister Frances who was called Dot.
When Dad was six his father died and this put a great strain on his mother.
They moved to a house near Clen’s grandparents who had a property in May Road ( later named Blackburn Road ) Notting hill.
At an early age, 13 rising 14, he left school and went to work at a market garden so he could help support his mother.
Keen to play football he went to Glen Waverley and he was considered too young.
Undaunted he went to Mulgrave a rival club in the same league which played their games on a ground loaned to them by Clen’s uncles near the site of AFL park. Clen’s uncles did own most of the land around this area.
In the Mulgrave side was his brother jack who was the full back. His cousins played on the half forward flank and at full forward with Clen in the other forward pocket. He took little time to show his talent and his name was passed onto Oakleigh and was invited to train in the pre season at Oakleigh in 1932.
That is were this remarkable career started
He was their leading goalkicker and in one game against prahan in 1933 he and Don Fraser kicked the entire score of 14 goals. Clen kicked 10 and Don 4.
In 1934 he was invited to train with the VFA at Port Melbourne and was selected to play in a challenge match against the VFL. His jumper is there today and it is the only one left.
Clen is the only player to represent both the V. F. A. and the V. F. L.
Success on the football field didn’t mean Clen could have an easier life. Although Oakleigh officials called for him on Saturdays he had to make his own way home during the week. Catching a bus from Notting hill each Tuesday he arrived at training on time but as the last bus left at 6 pm, Clen would more often miss it and would have to walk an hour to get home. On the nights he had to train at Port Melbourne he had to pay a young lad to cover his work while he was at training.
In 1934 Collingwood approached Oakleigh to seek permission to extend an invitation to Clen to try out at Collingwood.
The coach of Oakleigh, Frank Maher was going to coach Carlton he took Clen with him so this could have been a different story
Collingwood! Oh thank god he didn’t.
I am now writing from the Shepparton advertiser dated September 1935. The second eighteen of Carlton, as they were known then, went to Shepparton on a good will tour and considerable interest was in watching Clen Denning the crack goal-kicker of the side who has played many games in the seniors.
Under the title “Mystery man” in the Sporting Globe in 1935.
The mystery man – “Six goals to Denning. In the first quarter of the Carlton - South Melbourne match the huge crowd was thrilled by the splendid display of a new forward. His jumper was No.34. “Who is 34” was a question asked frequently that day. The record contained no No.34.
But he was no mystery to Carlton. He had already kicked 17 goals in three games in the seconds.
He replaced Dougherty and by the first quarter he had kicked 4 goals and was of course the main factor in Carlton’s first quarter lead.
Soapy Vallance (one of Carlton’s greats ) showed appreciation of his return by getting 4 goals. He and Clen formed a fine combination by sharing 10 of Carlton’s 14 goals.
Both seem certain to retain their positions.”
Clen’s 6 goals from six kicks is a official record of the V.F.L / A.F.L., which still stands today.
In the crowd that day was his future wife and I asked her about the day and she said he played well. But being a South supporter, was not happy.
They finally met on a blind date and that evening they were going to a taxation ball. It was very foggy - in fact a pea souper - which means ( you cant see your hand in front of you ).and dad kept her waiting. And she was about to leave when he finally turned up.
Thank God he did as this story may never have seen the light of day.
The rest is history.
In 1937 Clen sought a clearance to Fitzroy but was refused but Carlton would release him to South Melbourne or Williamstown. Clen said that Oakleigh would block any move to Williamstown. He made a fresh approach again and Carlton finally released Clen with help from the new Carlton coach Brighton Diggans.
Fitzroy.
Clen played in the forward line and was the leading Goal kicker in 1939 and moved then to the back pocket were he and Fred Hughson formed the best backline combination.
In 1941 the club had no money and the players had a meeting and decided to play for nothing. At the end of the year they received 40 pounds each. That’s Fitzroy, but the club was more important than money.
He played for Victoria in South Australia in 1941 which the Vics won and his jumper is also displayed here today.
1944 was the year that thrilled Clen when they won the premiership. The previous year they played in the Finals but Clen said you had to play a final to gain experience so in 1944 they were ready and when they ran on to the ground they sprinted for a short distance and Jack Dyer was heard to say we won't catch these buggers today and sure enough they didn't.
In a previous meeting between Richmond and Fitzroy Jack dyer knocked dad out and after the game all players had drink as well as the umpires and mum told jack if he did that again he would have to answer to her. He did say sorry.
During the Grand Final, Dad had the ball and who was in front of him, Jack. Dad quickly thought he is flesh and blood like him, so he hit him and knocked him down and when he delivered the ball he went back and jack was groaning and he said you didn’t expect that did you. Clen always had a great respect for Jack Dyer as a player and person.
The premiership flag here to day is the original flag won by Fitzroy in 1944 won 65 years ago.
The famous Essendon rover Dick Reynolds ( three times Brownlow Medalist) was asked who was the best player that he had played on, and he said there were many but the one whom he admired the most was Clen Denning.
If I had an advantage he would bustle me and punch the ball away. In fact I was glad to go back on the ball.
I once heard a player remark that Denning even watches the wind go by and can remember Dick Harris who was having a wonderful year in a forward pocket for Richmond having a very lean time whenever he was opposed to Denning. By watching the ball closely Denning would leave his man and cover the fullback when that player had followed an opposing player up the field.
1947 was his last year with Fitzroy Clen, Frank Curcio and Fred Hughson shared 530 games between them. In 1947 he was made a life member of the club and also later of the Brisbane lions.
Clen is also a member of Fitzroy and Brisbane Lions past players Association Hall of Fame. Ivan Smith is the driving force of the past players, whom Clen admired for his work.
Clen was chosen in the very first issue of personalised stamps by Australia Post on the 7th of march 2000. It is called “The Premiership Players Club Inc.” After leaving Fitzroy, Clen coached Ararat and they won the premiership in 1949 there first in 29 years and the beer flowed down the street from the Ararat Hotel to the Turf Club hotel which is a good distance.
In 1950 at the end of the season Ararat played North Melbourne. North had been beaten in the Grand Final by Essendon the previous week and the scores were Ararat 15.7 to North Melbourne 6.15. It was said that Ararat would have been competitive in the V.F.L. that year.
In the years at Ararat our family increased by one and he is here today. John Ford played for Ararat, And he became as I have said my other brother. He with his wife Tossie formed a very close association with Clen and win that friendship has never faltered.
Clen left Ararat in 1950 and in 1951 Ararat won Another flag.
Clen went to Castlemaine and they played in the finals and the next year they won the premiership but Clen was back in Melbourne by then.
In 1952 to 1953 he coached Fitzroy seconds. He also played his last senior game in 1953 at the ripe old age of 42.
He played over 330 senior games plus 15 representative games and finally it all came to a close in 1958, a total of 47 years.
After football Mum and Dad travelled overseas and then they turned to lawn bowls where dad took a back seat to mum. But I always thought he held back as he had played sport all his life and it was Mum’s turn to take the centre stage in their lives.
He played pennant as did mum and Sundays was always bowls. Once again he was the quiet one and enjoyed seeing mum achieve her first club Championship.
Clen was a quiet achiever as is typical of most of the Fitzroy players and officials who never claimed the limelight but were true to Fitzroy which is why it has survived and is still active today. Clen was a gentle man but once on the football field he was focused.
Bill Stephen told me after every game Clen would be waiting for the players of Fitzroy to leave the ground and shake their hands and thank them for the game.
Bill Serong of Collingwood told me he modeled his game on Dad. Clen was always had his hair done and looked immaculate on the ground. Jumper tucked in, socks up never untidy and Bill followed this and I remember him playing and he always looked good never knowing that he was modelled himself on Dad.
Clen was a loving and devoted husband to win and father to Ian and Valerie. He has 4 grand children and 8 great grand children and one great great grand child.
It is sad to see him go but he joins with his family once more and his mates from Fitzroy and may they all now have many memories now that the final and most important player has joined them.
He will be surely missed.
May God bless you Dad on your long journey home.
The Fitzroy Football Club would like to sincercely thank Clen's son Ian Denning for permission to publish Clen's eulogy on our website.
