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HallOfFame

Dan Dempsey

Second-rower, Hooker

Player Bio

Inducted:
2008
Date of Birth:
15 January 1901
Birthplace:
Freestone, QLD
Nickname:
-
Debut Team:
Toowoomba
Date:
18 June 1924
Opposition:
England
Venue:
Athletic Oval, Toowoomba
Representative:
Queensland, Australia
Clubs:
Warwick, Valleys Toowoomba, Booval Swifts

Career

Milestones

  • Kangaroo Tours: 1929-30, 1933-34

Playing

First Class Games
104
Points
39
Tries
13

Biography

His real name was Dan O'Dempsey, but the 'O' disappeared during his football career. Dempsey was a second-rower, and an ''iron man'' in more ways than one, for he was an iron moulder.

His grounding for some three years was at Toowoomba, and he was there in the golden years of the mid 1920s. After this period of Toowoomba domination he transferred to Ipswich.

During his career, from 1925 to 1934, Dempsey played 30 matches for Queensland, seven Tests for Australia, and went on two Kangaroo tours (1929–30 and 1933–34).

In The Kangaroos, Ian Heads related a story by Ray Stehr, of Dempsey, then at St Helens, being ''kicked across the face when he fell in a scrum in as vicious and foul an incident as I have ever seen''.

Dempsey was carried off, blood spurting from a cut above one eye.

Stehr then recalled how, suddenly, Dempsey sat up and held the edge of the gash together, and said, ''put a safety pin in it, and let me get back there''.

Dempsey played in all three Tests against England in 1928, and was Australia's hooker in the famous ''Battle of Brisbane'' Test that Australia won in 1932.

In that game, Dempsey's left arm was fractured, but he played on for quite a time until the doctor forced him off. He was a tough, hard man. Later, he became coach of Queensland and an Australian selector.

“He played anywhere in the pack and made a success of the job. The most gruelling punishment never curbed his fighting spirit.”

QRL News, 1952

24. Dan Dempsey - Hall of Fame

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Warwick Warwick Premiership 1922 1922 - - - - -
Valleys Toowoomba Toowoomba Competition 1923 1925 - - - - -
Booval Swifts Ipswich Competition 1927 1927 - - - - -
Tivolis Ipswich Ipswich Competition 1928 1934 - - - - -

Representative Career

Intercity

Intercity
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Toowoomba 1924 1925 8 - - - -
Ipswich 1927 1934 37 5 - - 15

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Queensland Interstate Series New South Wales
1925
1928
1925
1934
26 6 - - 18
Queensland Touring Teams
1928
1930
1932
1928
1930
1932
4 1 - - 3
Queensland The Rest 1927 1928 2 - - - -

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests
1928
1932
1929
1933
7 - - - -
Australia Tour Matches
1929
1933
1930
1934
20 1 - - 3

Hall of Fame Members

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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