Today we remember Don Cordner on what would have been his 104th birthday.

Don Cordner (21 January 1922 – 13 May 2009)

Career highlights

2× VFL premierships: 1941, 1948

Brownlow Medallist: 1946

Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist: 1943

Melbourne captain: 1948–1949

Melbourne Team of the Century–back pocket

Melbourne Hall of Fame–Legend status

2× Sporting Life team of the year: 1947, 1949

Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

The Cordners are one of the great football dynasties of the Melbourne Football club spanning three generations.

Thanks WJ. I love your contributions which remind us of the history of our great club. Can I just check whether it's three or four generations, when you include Harriet Cordner? This article suggests it's four, although it may not be four in a consecutive line (ie, I don't know if Harriet is the daughter of David (1980s player) or from a different line).

The Footballing Cordners (first published in the Town Crier)

Edited January 21Jan 21 by La Dee-vina Comedia
Added link

44 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Today we remember Don Cordner on what would have been his 104th birthday.

Don Cordner (21 January 1922 – 13 May 2009)

Career highlights

2× VFL premierships: 1941, 1948

Brownlow Medallist: 1946

Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist: 1943

Melbourne captain: 1948–1949

Melbourne Team of the Century–back pocket

Melbourne Hall of Fame–Legend status

2× Sporting Life team of the year: 1947, 1949

Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

The Cordners are one of the great football dynasties of the Melbourne Football club spanning three generations.

It's not struck before, but love-child (love-forebear?) of D.Schwartz and D.Neitz?

Doctor Don's generosity is probably the main reason I'm a lifetime Demon supporter. When my mother was a student nurse at the Royal Melbourne, he gave her a complimentary ticket to attend a game at the 'G. She remained a Melbourne supporter for many years. Fortunately I followed her rather than my father's team Carlton.

Any more of the family still around/playing?

1 minute ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Any more of the family still around/playing?

Harriet Cordner (grand-daughter of Don, according to Wikipedia) plays with Carlton in the AFLW.

There is that story Don told about winning the Brownlow medal in 1946. Apparently he received a phone call telling him that he won it and so the next day he went round to VFL house and collected it. And apparently they didn’t even offer him a cup of tea (so the story goes).

Don was also president of the Melbourne Cricket Club from 1985 to 1992.

3 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Harriet Cordner (grand-daughter of Don, according to Wikipedia) plays with Carlton in the AFLW.

How cool is that

5 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Harriet Cordner (grand-daughter of Don, according to Wikipedia) plays with Carlton in the AFLW.

Harriet started playing aflw with Melbourne and told her grandmother she was thinking of playing aflw. Her grandmother replied that is fine dear as long as you do not play for Collingwood. Don Cordner's wife was a very wise lady.