DENNIS Madden was a versatile and talented sportsman, excelling in cricket, rugby league and athletics.
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Sadly, the retired school teacher who won rugby league premierships with Scone, Warialda, Eugowra and Gunnedah, passed away last Saturday morning.
He was 72.
Born in Buhadelah, Madden attended St Therese Convent, Krambach and then Taree High School where he excelled at cricket, helping the school’s First XI to a Mid North Coast Championship in 1959 and then captaining the team the following season.
After completing his schooling he then attended Newcastle Teachers College and began a long teaching career with stints at Wallangra (1963-1964), Eugowra (1965-1969), Gundy (1970-1974), Gunnedah (1975-1978) and Blandford (1979-2002) where he was the principal.
His footballing career, both rugby league and rugby union, was impressive.
In 1962 he was a member of the Alderton Cup-winning rugby union premiership team in Newcastle.
In 1963-64 he was a member of the Warialda rugby league team that won two Group 5 (now Group 19) premierships.
From 1965 the outstanding halfback played with Eugowra in Group 11, winning premierships in 1965, 1966 and 1967. He also captain-coached the club in 1968 and 1969.
Madden then helped Scone to a 1970 premiership and was captain-coach two years later when it won the Group 21 premiership.
The next two years, Scone made the grand final only to lose the decider.
Madden’s work then took him to Gunnedah and five years with the Bulldogs in Group 4, captain-coaching the first grade side in 1976.
After moving back to the Hunter he returned to the Scone club and coached junior and second grade sides.
Cricket was also a passion and he batted and bowled in Eugowra, Scone and Gunnedah first grade competitions for many years.
In 1981 he was a founding member of the Murrurundi Cricket Club and played for them for some 14 seasons, helping them to B Grade premierships in the Scone competition in 1983-84 and 1984-85.
Touch football was another sport he excelled at and he won premierships with Murrurundi Smithy’s Mountain Men from 1979 to 1982.
However his biggest battle started against cancer five years ago.
He wasn’t expected to last as long as he did but fought a long and proud fight.
His funeral will be held at 11am Monday in the Blessed Virgin Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Scone.
