Don McKenzie (23 March 1939 – 23 September 2026) was a Australian rules footballer who played 266 senior games for the Essendon Football Club from 1960 to 1974. He won the Essendon best and fairest award in 1966 and was named team captain for the 1969 VFL season.

Career McKenzie made his debut, as 19th man, for Essendon against Melbourne at Windy Hill on 4 June 1960 when he replaced the ruckman Bob Dunlop at three-quarter time,VFL Statistics, The Age, (Monday, 6 June 1960), p. 20. having only played Australian rules football for three years. He went on to play 266 games for Essendon; he played 94 consecutive senior games from 1965 to 1969.

He won premierships in 1962 and in 1965, as well as winning the club's best and fairest in 1966. He was captain of the Essendon losing Grand Final team in 1968, in place of the injured Ken Fraser. He was one of the best players for the Victorian team that played Tasmania in Tasmania in June 1967.VFL survives late burst by Tasmania: 17-point margin, The Age, (Monday, 19 June 1967), p. 20. McKenzie was also selected for the second international tour of "The Galahs" in 1968.

Dispute over player payments McKenzie captained the club in the 1969 season. He was removed from his captaincy in 1970 when he and four of his teammates, Geoff Gosper, Darryl Gerlach, Geoff Pryor, and Barry Davis, demanded better pay and conditions. Once the issue was resolved (by the time of the second round in 1970), McKenzie was appointed vice captain for 1970 (with Barry Davis appointed captain). According to Maplestone,

Parallel dispute at Collingwood Two other VFL players, Collingwood's ruckman Len Thompson (later, the 1972 Brownlow Medallist) and its captain Des Tuddenham (later, the captain-coach of Essendon 1972–75), also went on "strike" at that time, and did not train with Collingwood for three weeks. Both players "eventually agreed to the compromise involved in the League's offer, but Tuddenham was stripped of the captaincy".Ross (1996), p. 253

Retirement McKenzie played his last game for Essendon firsts in 1974 (aged 35) and following his retirement he was given a testimonial dinner. However, he returned to Essendon in 1978, aged 39, and played an entire season with the reserves. In his first reserves game he had 16 possessions.Maplestone (1996), p. 223.

He was made a life member of the Essendon Football Club in 1969. He served on the club committee from 1981 to 1996, and also as vice-president of the club.

During his playing career McKenzie was employed as an inspector of interstate transport vehicles and their drivers by Victoria's Country Roads Board. After his retirement from football, he and a friend, Richard Baird, founded Sunbury Bus Service in 1980.TMG appoints managing directors to Southern Cross Transit Australasian Bus & Coach 21 November 1997

Death McKenzie died on 23 September 2026 at the age of 87.Vale Don McKenzie

Notes

References Photograph of McKenzie and his son, Peter, at Windy Hill, before his 266th and final game for Essendon's First XVIII, The Age, (Monday, 2 September 1974), p. 20. Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996.

External links

Champions of Essendon: Don McKenzie Profile