John Gleeson (28 December 1938 – 25 December 2021), also known by the nickname of "Dookie", was an Australian former

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. An Australian international and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

interstate representative half, he played club football in the country for

Chinchilla Chinchillas are either of two species (''Chinchilla chinchilla'' and ''Chinchilla lanigera'') of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha. They are slightly larger and more robust than ground squirrels, and are native to the Andes mount ...

's team, in the Toowoomba Rugby League for the All Whites club, and in the

Brisbane Rugby League The Brisbane Rugby League is a rugby league football competition in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first held in 1922 and for every year until 1997. The competition was reinstated in 2001, known as the FOGS premiership under the Queen ...

for the

Wynnum-Manly The Wynnum-Manly Seagulls are an Australian rugby league football club based at Kougari Oval, in Brisbane's bayside suburb of Manly West, which neighbours the suburb of Wynnum. They competed in the Brisbane Rugby League from 1951 to 1997. Since ...

and

Brothers A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

clubs, winning the 1967 BRL premiership with the latter.

Playing career

Gleeson was first player selected to represent Queensland in 1961 against New South Wales. In 1963,

club

Wynnum Wynnum is a coastal suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Wynnum had a population of 12,915 people. The suburb is a popular destination in Brisbane due to its coastline, jetty and tidal wading pool. Geography Wynnu ...

signed a host of big-name players, including Gleeson. At the end of the season, he was selected to represent his country on the 1963-64

Kangaroo tour Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France, tours to New Zealand and the one-off tour to Papua New Guinea (1991). The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours to ...

of Britain and France, making him the first Wynnum-Manly player to achieve

honours, and in doing so became part of the first Kangaroos squad to win the Ashes in England. Gleeson himself did not play in any of the Test matches on this tour, but the following year he became the club's second international after Lionel Morgan, being selected to play in two Test matches against France. Gleeson spent 1965 playing in Toowoomba for the Souths club. He also went on the 1965 tour of New Zealand. After helping Brothers to the 1967

Brisbane Rugby League premiership The Brisbane Rugby League is a rugby league football competition in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first held in 1922 and for every year until 1997. The competition was reinstated in 2001, known as the FOGS premiership under the Quee ...

, he went on the 1967-68 Kangaroo tour. With Gleeson filling in for the injured Billy Smith at halfback, fellow Queenslander Peter Gallagher led a depleted Australian team to an upset series victory.

Post playing

In 2008,

rugby league in Australia Rugby league in Australia has been one of Australia's most popular sports since it started being played there in 1908. It is the dominant winter football code in the states of New South Wales and Queensland. In 2009, it was the most watched spor ...

's centenary year, Gleeson was named on the bench of the Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century. In 2013, Gleeson was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. He died on 25 December 2021, three days short of his 83rd birthday.Former Kangaroos five-eighth John Gleeson passes away
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gleeson, John 1938 births 2021 deaths Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league players Past Brothers players Queensland rugby league team players Rugby league halfbacks Rugby league players from Toowoomba Wynnum Manly Seagulls players