Alexander David Denney (24 June 1926 – 26 April 2004) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).Holmesby & Main (2014), p.222.

Family The son of Powley Denney (1893–1964),Deaths: Denney, The Age, (Friday, 31 July 1964), p.23. and Nellie Violet Denney (1894–1947), née Glover,Deaths: Denney, The Argus, (Tuesday, 23 December 1947), p.11. Alexander David Denney was born in Wycheproof, Victoria on 24 June 1926.

In 1949 he married Betty Lois Coventry, the daughter of Gordon Coventry.Engagements: Coventry—Denney, The Argus, (Monday, 24 May 1948), p.7.

Education He was educated at Wycheproof State School (No.1757)."Wycheproof State School 1757: School Groups in 1934", and "Wycheproof State School 1757: School Groups in 1938", at wycheschools.webs.com. After winning a major residential scholarship,Scholarship Awards from State Schools, The Herald, (Wednesday, 30 November 1938), p.10. he attended Caulfield Grammar School, as a boarder, from 1939 to 1942.Webber (1981), p.289. There, he distinguished himself not only as a student — he was dux of his class in 1939Caulfield Grammar, The Age, (13 December 1939), p.9. — but also as a footballer,Assoc. Grammar Schools, The Australasian, (Saturday, 19 July 1941), p.39. cricketer,Associated Grammar Schools: Brighton v. Caulfield, The Argus, (Saturday, 6 March 1941), p.12. and, especially, an outstanding athlete.Wilkinson (1997), pp.112, 115, 117, and 118.His brother, Powley Samuel Denney (1930–1987), also attended Caulfield Grammar (from 1943 to 1946: Webber (1981), p.289), and was also an exceptional schoolboy athlete (Wilkinson (1997), pp.120, 124-126).Caulfield Grammar Events: School Tryouts: Under 14, The Herald, (Saturday, 21 October 1939), p.20.

At the school's October 1942 Annual Sports, Denney won the Open 100 yards, 220 yards, and 440 yards races, the 120 yards hurdles, and the long jump.Caulfield G.S. Sports, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 10 October 1942), p.3; School Sports, The Age, (Monday, 12 October 1942), p.4. The Australasian's schools' correspondent declared Denney to be "an all-round runner of great promise",Caulfield Grammar", The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 October 1942), p.28. in a report to which was appended a photograph of Denney rounding the last bend (in front of the school's tennis courts) of either the 220 or 440 yards races.A. Denny (Caulfield), who won 6 events, The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 October 1942), p.27.

Later that same month, when competing for the school in the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria Combined Sports on 23 October 1942, he broke the 23-year-old record for the Open 100 yards (he won by four yards, in 10 secs),See photograph at: Combined Sports of Associated Grammar Schools: Finish of 100 Yards Open Championship, The Australasian, (Saturday, 31 October 1942), p.17. came second on the Open 220 yards, and won the Open 440 yards.Boy Athlete Breaks 19 Year Old Record, The Herald, (Friday, 23 October 1942), p.3; School Sports, The Argus, (Saturday, 24 October 1942), p.9.

Military service He served with the RAAF during the Second World War.World War Two Nominal Roll: Aircraftman 2 Alexander David Denney (450637), Department of Veterans' Affairs. During that time, he played football, in Sydney, along with his future brother-in-law, George Coventry, for the RAAF.Four Aust. Rules Teams out for Second Win, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Saturday, 12 May 1945), p.9, Airmen's Recovery in Aust. Rules, The (Sydney) Sun, (Sunday, 3 June 1945), p.19, etc.

Football Wycheproof Football Club (TFL) In 1946, Alex Denney was voted the best and fairest player for the Wycheproof Football Club in the Tyrrell Football League.Football: Tyrell (sic) Trophies, The Age, (Wednesday, 23 October 1946), p.9.

Collingwood (VFL) Recruited from Wycheproof in 1947, Denney played in his first senior VFL match, against South Melbourne, on 10 May 1947, on the wing, as a replacement for the injured Des Fothergill.School Star Excels, The Argus, (Monday, 12 May 1947), p.12.

At the end of the 1947, "Clubman", the Weekly Times football correspondent rated ex-Wycheproof Denney the second-best of all of the first-year "former country players" in that year's VFL Competition: the best was the ex-Echuca Melbourne player, Eddie Jackson, and the third-best was the ex-Granya Footscray player, Norm Webb.'Clubman', "Echuca Lad is Best of his Year in City Games", The Weekly Times, (Wednesday, 3 September 1947), p.54.

After his first four games (two on the wing and two on the half-forward flank), he was transferred to the half-back flank, where he played for almost all of the rest of his career,For example, Goal for Essendon, The Age, (Monday, 2 May 1948), p.8.On 23 August 1947, he played in the centre, replacing the injured Bill Twomey (Collingwood Make Two Surprise Changes, The Argus, Friday, 22 August 1947), p.21). He kicked one goal in the match (Details of Six VFL Games, The Argus, (Monday, 25 August 1947), p.17). including the 1948 Semi-Final (against Footscray),Ready for Semi-Final, The Herald, (Wednesday, 8 September 1948), p.8. and the 1948 Preliminary Final (against Melbourne), his last VFL game, where he was one of Collingwood's best players, although in a losing team.Beames, Percy, "Melbourne Improves Title prospects, The Age, (Monday, 27 September 1948), p.8.Reynolds, Dick, "Collingwood Annihilated in League Final", The Argus, (Monday, 27 September 1948), p.23.

Wycheproof Football Club (TFL/NCFL) In April 1949, Collingwood cleared Denney to back to Wycheproof.Beames, Percy, "Fitzroy Full Back Injured in Accident", The Age, (Wednesday, 27 April 1949), p.18.

Having won the TFL premiership in 1951,Tyrrell League "Double", The Argus, (Friday, 21 September 1951), p.15. and with ex-Collingwood Hugh Coventry (Denney's wife's cousin) as its captain-coach, the Wycheproof Football Club transferred from the Tyrrell Football League to the North Central Football League (NCFL) in 1952.Tyrrell Battle Closes, The Argus, (Friday, 25 April 1952), p.7.

Denney was not only the vice-captain of the Wycheproof team that won the 1952 NCFL premiership, defeating the Donald Football Club 15.17 (107) to 4.9 (33),Country Football, The Age, (Monday, 15 September 1952), p.13.Leading Country Football Teams, The Weekly Times, (Wednesday, 22 October 1952), p.41. but was also the league's best and fairest player that year.Wycheproof History: Ted Sands presents Alec Denney with the 1952 B & F (Photograph), at flickr.com.

He was still playing in 1955.Wycheproof Knocks Carlton from the Four, The Argus, (Monday, 22 August 1955), p.7.The Wycheproof Team, The Argus, (Friday, 26 August 1955), p.24.

Notes

References

External links

Alex Denney, 1947-1948, at Collingwood Forever. "Wycheproof Red Cricket Team (A Grade) Premiers Tyrrell Cricket Ass 1959-1960" (photograph), at wychenarraportcricket.webs.com.