Francis Douglas Strang (12 July 1912 – 28 March 1954) was an
Australian rules footballer who played as a full forward in the
VFL between 1931 and 1935 for the
Richmond Football Club.
Family
He married Ina Lillian McCullough, at
Geelong
Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon ...
on 18 November 1937.
He was the brother of dual
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a ...
premiership player
Gordon Strang
Gordon "Cocker" Strang (10 February 1908 – 8 October 1951) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League for the Richmond Football Club between 1931 and 1936.
Strang first came under notice when he kicke ...
, St Kilda footballer
Colin Strang, and South Melbourne footballer
Allan Strang. He was the father of dual
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a ...
premiership player
Geoff Strang, and the uncle of Richmond premiership player
John Perry.
Football
Strang played with Albury Rovers FC in the Albury & Border Football Association in 1929 and was originally recruited from East Albury after one season in the
Ovens and Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales and the Ovens and Murray ...
in 1930, as part of a major country recruiting drive by the Tigers, who were eager to break a run of Grand Final losses to Collingwood dating back to 1927.
In just his second VFL game, his 14 goals kicked against
North Melbourne
North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at ...
in 1931 still stands to this day as the record for the most goals kicked by a
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a ...
player in a single game, and as the youngest player to kick ten or more goals in a
VFL game, at just 18 years and 300 days old.
n his first season Strang’s brilliant overhead marking, in spite of exceptionally wet weather for much of the winter, brought him sixty-eight goals with long drop kicks. In 1932, Strang struggled severely in another rainy winter, but from the time he kicked a goal after the bell to end an eleven match winning streak by Carlton, his brilliant marking asserted itself, most notably in a wonderful display on a dry ground in the second-semi-final.
1933 saw Strang begin to suffer from injuries later in the season. After he had seemingly returned to his best form with ten goals at Arden Street in the thirteenth round, Strang damaged a thigh when playing for the Tigers against the Ballarat League between the fifteenth and sixteenth rounds, and due to knee problems was not at his best when returning for the finals. When the 1934 season opened it was thought Doug Strang would be fully fit, but after one impressive match in the second round against St. Kilda, it was soon discovered that the knee required an operation to repair a slipped disc, and Strang did not play again until the fourteenth round against
Carlton. After that, however, the disc incapacitated him once more and he was a passenger on the forward flank by the seventeenth round. These injuries meant Strang left Richmond during 1935. In June 1935, Strang was cleared to Kyneton Football Club where he took over the lease of the Junction Hotel, Kyneton.
Strang was captain / coach of the
Kyneton Football Club
The Kyneton Football Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Tigers'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Kyneton, Victoria. Kyneton teams currently compete in the Bendigo Football Netball League. The football squad ...
's 1936 premiership team in
Bendigo Football League
The Bendigo Football Netball League (previously known as the Sandhurst Football Association, Bendigo and District Football Association, Bendigo Football Association and Bendigo Football League) is an Australian rules football and netball comp ...
, before returning to Albury as a hotelier in 1937 and playing in
Albury Football Club
The Albury Football Club, nicknamed the ''Tigers'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in Albury, a major regional city in New South Wales. Albury football and netball squads compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.
...
's 1937 premiership team. after it was thought he would go back to Richmond.
Strang continuing to kick many goals for the
Albury Football Club
The Albury Football Club, nicknamed the ''Tigers'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in Albury, a major regional city in New South Wales. Albury football and netball squads compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.
...
, kicking 126 in 1938 & 117 in 1939. In one game in 1939 he kicked 20 goals against
Corowa Football Club
The Corowa Football Club, nicknamed the Spiders, was an Australian rules football club based in Corowa, New South Wales, that competed in the Ovens & Murray Football League.
The club merged with the Wahgunyah Football Club on several occasions ...
.
[‘Death of Doug Strang’ in ''Benalla Ensign''; 1 April 1954; p. 12] and he captain-coached Albury to two premierships in 1939 and 1940.
Cricket
In addition to his footballing ability, Strang was an excellent
bowler in country cricket for a number of years. In consecutive weeks in 1936 he took six wickets for Kyneton.
Death
Strang died at the age of 41 when he was hit by a car on Dean Street in Albury.
Recognition
Strang would later make the
Albury Football Club
The Albury Football Club, nicknamed the ''Tigers'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in Albury, a major regional city in New South Wales. Albury football and netball squads compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.
...
's Team of the Century and be inducted into the O&MFL's - Hall of Fame.
The O&MFL goalkicking award is now known as the Doug Strang Medal.
Notes
References
* Hogan P: ''The Tigers Of Old'', Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strang, Doug
1912 births
1954 deaths
Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents
Albury Football Club players
Albury Football Club coaches
Richmond Football Club players
Richmond Football Club Premiership players
Road incident deaths in New South Wales
One-time VFL/AFL Premiership players
Australian rules footballers from Albury