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Des Martin

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Des Martin
Personal information
Full name Norman Desmond Martin
Born 2 August 1913
Sale, Victoria
Died 7 December 1985(1985-12-07) (aged 72)
Prahran, Victoria
Original team Frankston Bombers
Height 171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight 73 kg (161 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1941–1942 South Melbourne 10 (6)
1942 Richmond 5 (5)
Total 15 (11)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1942.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Norman Desmond Martin (2 August 1913 – 7 December 1985) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne and Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]

Family

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The youngest of 11 children born to Thomas Martin (1864–1937)[2] and Ellen Martin (1867–1940),[3] née Smith, Norman Desmond Martin was born in Sale, Victoria on 2 August 1913.[4]

Des Martin married Ivy Jean Purdy on 27 December 1941.[5]

Football

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Sale

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Having commenced playing in the local Sale competition in 1933,[6] Des Martin soon won a place in the Sale team competing in the Gippsland Football Association.[7]

Frankston

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In 1936, Martin moved to Frankston where he made an immediate impression[8] and ended the season scoring four goals in a one-point loss to the Naval Depot team in the (Preliminary) Final of the Peninsula League.[9] He was a leading player throughout 1937 before he was sidelined with injury for the 1938 season. Martin trained with South Melbourne before the 1939 season[10] but he did not make the final list and he returned to Frankston.

In October 1940 Martin enlisted to service in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II[11] but was subsequently discharged due to a physical defect with his leg.[12]

South Melbourne

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Martin returned to South Melbourne in 1941 and after playing well in the reserves[13] he made his debut in the middle of the 1941 VFL season.[14] A rover and half forward, he played nine games that year.

Martin enlisted for a second time in early 1942, this time in the Australian Army,[15] and had an operation to correct an issue in his leg.[12] He was made captain of the South Melbourne seconds team but made one more appearance in the senior team in round 11 of the 1942 VFL season.

Richmond

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Des Martin crossed over to Richmond in the middle of the 1942 season[16] and he played five games for them, his final appearance being as a reserve for Richmond in the 1942 VFL Grand Final, which they lost to Essendon.[14]

Berrigan

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Martin joined the Berrigan Football Club in 1946 as captain-coach when he returned from war service.[15][17]

He won the Murray Football League's best and fairest award, the O'Dwyer Medal in 1946 and was runner up in 1948,[18] when playing for Berrigan. Martin won the Berrigan best and fairest award in 1948.[19]

Minyip

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In 1947, Martin coached Minyip Football Club in the Wimmera Football League.[20]

Watchem

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Martin was captain-coach of Watchem from 1950 to 1952.

Oakleigh

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Martin was coach of the Oakleigh Under 19 side and lead them to premierships in 1953 and 1954.

References

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  1. ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Bas Publishing. p. 554. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
  2. ↑ "Family Notices". Gippsland Times. No. 10, 483. Victoria, Australia. 30 September 1937. p. 8.
  3. ↑ "Family Notices". Gippsland Times. No. 11, 139. Victoria, Australia. 22 April 1940. p. 8.
  4. ↑ "Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria". Government of Victoria.
  5. ↑ "Jottings Of Jill". Gippsland Times. No. 11, 229. Sale, Victoria. 9 February 1942. p. 2.
  6. ↑ "Position of Teams". Gippsland Times. No. 10, 000. Victoria, Australia. 24 August 1933. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "FOOTBALL". Gippsland Times. No. 10, 090. Victoria, Australia. 16 July 1934. p. 1.
  8. ↑ "NAVY BEGINS WELL". Frankston And Somerville Standard. Victoria, Australia. 15 May 1936. p. 6.
  9. ↑ "MORNINGTON LEAGUE". The Age. No. 25, 402. Victoria, Australia. 14 September 1936. p. 4.
  10. ↑ "Football". Record. Vol. XLIV, no. 11. Victoria, Australia. 18 March 1939. p. 3.
  11. ↑ "World War II Roll: Norman Martin". Department of Veterans Affairs.
  12. 1 2 "SOUTH FOOTBALLER IN MILITARY HOSPITAL". Record. Vol. XLVII, no. 8. Victoria, Australia. 28 February 1942. p. 1.
  13. ↑ "ONE CHANGE AT FOOTSCRAY". The Age. No. 26, 875. Victoria, Australia. 6 June 1941. p. 4.
  14. 1 2 AFL Tables: Des Martin
  15. 1 2 "World War II Roll: Desmond Martin". Department of Veterans Affairs.
  16. ↑ "LEADERS WILL BE TESTED Interest in VFL Games". The Argus. No. 29, 932. Victoria, Australia. 31 July 1942. p. 6.
  17. ↑ The Argus,"D. Martin For Berrigan", 6 April 1946, p. 10
  18. ↑ "1948 – Murray FL – O'Dwyer Medal". Cobram Courier. 13 August 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 4 May 2020 – via Trove Newspapers.
  19. ↑ "1948 - Football Trophies Allotted". The Berrigan Advocate (Cobram, NSW. : 1891 - 1970). 15 September 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "1948 - Back to Berrigan". Shepparton Advertiser. 19 March 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 15 May 2020 – via Trove Newspapers.
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