CTV > A tribute to Gavin Brown CTV > A tribute to Des Tuddenham CTV > Des Tuddenham interviewDes Tuddenham described being inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame with Gavin Brown as one of the great honours of his life.
Tuddenham, a Magpie champion who played 182 games in the black and white stripes from 1962-71 and then in 1976 and 77, was inducted on Thursday night alongside Brown and six other football greats.
“I said to Gavin it was one of the great honours of my life to be inducted on the same night he was,” Tuddenham told CTV.
“It was marvellous, he was a great player. He was a tough, a great leader and just a very humble man. To be inducted at the same Gavin Brown was, was very special.”
Like Brown, Tuddenham is regarded as one of the toughest and most courageous Magpies ever, and led the club for five seasons with distinction, as well as being a Copeland Trophy winner (1963).
He was named ruck-rover in the Collingwood Team of the Century, and is already a member of the Collingwood Hall of Fame.
“The Hall of Fame is terrific as far as the concept of football is concerned, especially this year because it’s 150 years of football and it’s a great year to be in, but I think the Team of the Century had a magnificent impact on me, to be in that squad, and considering the many players who have played for Collingwood, that was a great honour.”
Tuddenham paid tribute to another Collingwood champion in acknowledging those who influenced his career.
“I don’t know if I was a great but I was just one of the team, I was very lucky at that time to have Bob Rose as my coach.
“He was fantastic, Bob, and he gave me a great opportunity to lead Collingwood, and gave me the authority to run down the race and have the ground to myself.
“I could do what I wanted to do, and I always appreciate that from Bob Rose, because he just said ‘Tuddy, you do what you have to do, and do it well’, because he knew I would.”
During his career Tuddenham formed a potent on-ball combination with ruckman Len Thompson after being recruited from Ballarat YCW and starting his career as a swashbuckling half forward-flanker.
While his greatest disappointment was that premiership glory eluded him, ironically arguably his finest indivual performance came two weeks prior to leading the Magpies to the heart-breaking one-point loss to St Kilda, when he booted seven goals from the half forward flank against the Saints in the second semi.
Tuddenham represented Victoria five times and captained his state 1971. He played 66 games as Essendon's captain-coach from 1972-75 before returning to Victoria Park in 1976.
