Dennis Phillis
Encyclopedia
Dennis Keith "Fred" Phillis is an Australian rules football
er who was a prolific goal scorer, playing his entire senior career with SANFL club Glenelg in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Phillis was nicknamed "Fred"http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/p-q.htm#Dennis%20'Fred'%20Phillis%20(Glenelg) when his schoolmates likened him to the most famous Test cricket
paceman of the day, 'Fiery Fred' Truman
of Yorkshire
and England
. The nickname stuck and to many SANFL fans he is only known as "Fred" Phillis rather than by his birth name.
, and later Full-forward
, positions by incoming 1967 coach Neil Kerley
. This lateral thinking paid off with Phillis kicking a then SANFL record of 137 goals in 1969.
He polled 18 votes in the 1969 Magarey Medal
to be the first player to win the medal having played chiefly at full forward for the season.
In perhaps Glenelg's most memorable non-finals game, Phillis scored 18 goals at Glenelg Oval in 1975 as part of the team's record-breaking 49 goals against Central District
. Quirkily enough, in the 1973 grand final win by Glenelg over North Adelaide he failed to goal.
Phillis is the highest goal scorer in the history of the Glenelg club. This is all the more remarkable when considering that former league leading goalkickers Jack Owens (1927-1928, 1932) and Colin Churchett
(1948–1951) are also Glenelg champions. Overall Phillis is third on the all time SANFL goal scoring list.
After retiring as a player Phillis continued to pursue his chosen career as an architect.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who was a prolific goal scorer, playing his entire senior career with SANFL club Glenelg in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Phillis was nicknamed "Fred"http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/p-q.htm#Dennis%20'Fred'%20Phillis%20(Glenelg) when his schoolmates likened him to the most famous Test cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
paceman of the day, 'Fiery Fred' Truman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The nickname stuck and to many SANFL fans he is only known as "Fred" Phillis rather than by his birth name.
History
Phillis is the brother of South Australian rules footballer Wayne "Butch" Phillis, who also played his career at Glenelg. "Fred" began his senior career with Glenelg in the SANFL in 1966 as a centre half back but was moved into the Centre half-forwardCentre half-forward
In Australian rules football, the centre half-forward is a position on the half-forward line of a football field. The directly opposing player is a Centre-Half-Back....
, and later Full-forward
Full-forward
Full-forward is a position in Australian rules football and Gaelic football with a key focus on kicking goals.Leading full-forwards of the Australian Football League are usually among those awarded with the Coleman Medal for the most goals in an AFL season....
, positions by incoming 1967 coach Neil Kerley
Neil Kerley
Donald Neil Kerley OAM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. Known to his mates as either Neil or Knuckles and to South Australian football fans as King Kerley or simply "Kerls", he is best known for taking three clubs to four SANFL premierships over three decades as both a...
. This lateral thinking paid off with Phillis kicking a then SANFL record of 137 goals in 1969.
He polled 18 votes in the 1969 Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
to be the first player to win the medal having played chiefly at full forward for the season.
In perhaps Glenelg's most memorable non-finals game, Phillis scored 18 goals at Glenelg Oval in 1975 as part of the team's record-breaking 49 goals against Central District
Central District Bulldogs
Central District Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the city of Elizabeth about 25 km to the north of Adelaide, South Australia.-Origins and Background:...
. Quirkily enough, in the 1973 grand final win by Glenelg over North Adelaide he failed to goal.
Phillis is the highest goal scorer in the history of the Glenelg club. This is all the more remarkable when considering that former league leading goalkickers Jack Owens (1927-1928, 1932) and Colin Churchett
Colin Churchett
Colin Churchett was an Australian rules footballer who played with Glenelg in the South Australian National Football League . He also played a game for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....
(1948–1951) are also Glenelg champions. Overall Phillis is third on the all time SANFL goal scoring list.
After retiring as a player Phillis continued to pursue his chosen career as an architect.