John Gleeson (rugby league)

John Gleeson (born 28 December 1938), also known by the nickname of "Dookie", is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. An Australian international and Queensland interstate representative half, he played club football in the country for Chinchilla's team, in the Toowoomba Rugby League for the All Whites club, and in the Brisbane Rugby League for the Wynnum-Manly and Brothers clubs, winning the 1967 BRL premiership with the latter.

John Gleeson
Personal information
Born (1938-12-28) 28 December 1938
Playing information
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
PositionHalfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1953–58 Chinchilla
1959–62 All Whites 54
1963–64 Wynnum-Manly
1965 Souths (Toowoomba)
1966–68 Brothers (Brisbane)
Total 54 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1961–67 Queensland 25 2 0 0 6
1964–67 Australia 10 2 0 0 6
Source: [1]

Playing career

Gleeson was first selected to represent Queensland in 1961 against New South Wales.[2] In 1963 Brisbane Rugby League club Wynnum signed a host of big name players including Gleeson. At the end of the season he was selected on the 1963-64 Kangaroo tour[3] of Britain and France, making him the first Wynnum-Manly player to achieve Kangaroo tour honours. He was part of the first Kangaroos squad to win the Ashes in England. The following year Gleeson became the club's second international after Lionel Morgan, playing in two Test matches against France.[4]

Gleeson spent 1965 playing in Toowomba[5] for the Souths club.[6] He also went on the 1965 tour of New Zealand. After helping Brothers to the 1967 Brisbane Rugby League premiership,[7] he went on the 1967-68 Kangaroo tour. Filling in for the injured Billy Smith, at halfback, fellow Queenslander Peter Gallagher led a depleted Australian team to an upset victory.[8]

Post playing

In 2008, rugby league in Australia's centenary year, Gleeson was named on the bench of the Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century.[9]

In 2013 Gleeson was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.[10]

References
  1. John Gleeson at rugbyleagueproject.org
  2. "Representative Players". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011.
  3. nla.gov.au. "Rugby League player,John Gleeson, running with the ball". Picture Australia. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  4. "Club History". wynnumseagulls.com. Wynnum Manly Seagulls RLFC Ltd.
  5. "Team of the Century" (PDF). brothers.org.au. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  6. "Honour Boards". southstigers.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  7. "1967 Brisbane Rugby League Grand Final". queensland.rleague.com. World of Rugby League. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  8. qsport.org.au. "John Gleeson". Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. QSport. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  9. Leslie, Cameron (21 August 2008). "Rugby League Team of the Century named". The Chronicle. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  10. Malone, Paul (3 December 2013). "Adam Scott becomes first golfer to claim the top prize in Queensland sport after stellar 2013". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
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