Jack Danzey
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | John Joseph Danzey Jr. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 July 1939 Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 31 August 2020 (aged 81) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Refereeing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: rleague.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Joseph Danzey Jr. (9 July 1939 – 31 August 2020)[1][2] was an Australian professional rugby league footballer, referee and administrator. He played in the NSWRFL Premiership for the Newtown, Balmain and Cronulla-Sutherland clubs during the 1960s, and went on to control 172 first-grade games as a referee.
Player
[edit]Danzey commenced his first grade football career with Newtown in 1960, playing seven games. The next year he played for Narrandera, who paid a transfer fee of £400 ($800) to Newtown for Danzey. In 1962 he joined the Balmain Tigers, who paid the same transfer fee to Narrandera.[3]
In 1964 Danzey played in the first grade grand final, going down 11–6 to St. George.[4] He went on to captain the Balmain reserve grade team to win the 1965 competition.[5]
Danzey completed the last two years of his playing career with Cronulla-Sutherland in 1967–68, where he played some of his best football.[6]
Referee
[edit]Danzey began his refereeing career in the Newtown District Junior Rugby League. He was subsequently graded to referee in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), gaining his first first-grade match in 1973. He went on to control over 170 top grade matches in a career that lasted until 1983.[7]
Danzey was ranked as the top referee for extended periods, refereeing numerous televised matches-of-the-round, the City vs Country match in 1978 and 1982, New South Wales vs Queensland (1978, 1980) and semi-finals (1977, 1978, 1980, 1982).[8] However, he was never appointed to an end-of-season grand final, a situation he put down to the appointments system.[9] Danzey officiated as a replacement touch judge in the 1977 grand final replay. The original touch judge was felled by a projectile thrown from the crowd. Danzey, who had controlled the earlier reserve grade grand final and was the standby referee, finished the first grade game as a touch judge.[10]
Danzey's refereeing career came to an abrupt halt on 4 April 1983 when he suffered a heart attack after refereeing a match between St. George and Canterbury-Bankstown.[11][12] He subsequently went on to become Referees' Co-ordinator for the NSWRL.[13]
Personal life
[edit]Danzey was married to Kay; they had six children.[14] Their daughter Lynn-Maree is a film and television director.[15]
Away from rugby league, Danzey was a physical education and careers teacher at Dulwich High School, Birrong Boys High School, Burwood Girls High School and Kingsgrove North High School.[16]
Danzey's father, also known as Jack, played for Newtown Jets and Balmain Tigers in the 1940s.[17][3]
References
[edit]- ^ "John Danzey Death Notice". tributes.smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Vale – Jack Danzey". Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. 1 September 2020. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ a b Goodman, Tom (5 April 1962). "Gasnier, Danzey in Main R.L. Game". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "NSWRFL 1964 Grand Final". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Jack Danzey Jnr". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Cronulla humbles Parramatta". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 April 1967. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Jack Danzey". stats.rleague.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Jack Danzey (referee)". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ Curran, Brian (3 September 1981). "I've always been a 'tails' man". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "NSWRFL 1977 - Grand Final Rep. - Rugby League Project". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ Clarkson, Alan (14 April 1983). "Danzey recovering". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "RUGBY LEAGUE Danzey improves in intensive care - The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) - 6 Apr 1983". Trove. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ "Danzey gets new post". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 February 1984. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ Brown, Malcolm (16 July 1978). "Abuse, kicking and threats are a ref's lot". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Lynn-Maree Danzey". IMDb. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Vale - Jack Danzey". Men of League. 7 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "Jack Danzey - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.