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.
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | John Joseph Danzey Jr. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia | 9 July 1939|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 31 August 2020 | (aged 81)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Refereeing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: rleague.com |
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]
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]
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]