Des Steele
Collingwood
AFL career
8 games0 goals
- Debut
- R1 1962 v STK23 Apr 1962
- Most recent
- R18 1963 v ESS7 Sept 1963
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Wangaratta via Xavier College, Des Steele was a precocious wingman whose brief VFL career hinted at significant unfulfilled potential. Spotted by Phonse Kyne during a school match, Steele debuted as a teenager in the opening round of 1962 but struggled to cement a regular senior spot due to injury, including a troublesome jarred heel that derailed his 1963 campaign. Despite producing a best-on-ground performance against Essendon star Barry Capuano in what turned out to be his final League match, Steele grew disenchanted with the grind of city life and the logistical difficulties of commuting between work and training. He walked away from the VFL at just 20 years of age to return to the Ovens & Murray League, where he subsequently became a local legend and Team of the Century member for Wangaratta, leaving the Magpies to rue the loss of a genuine talent.
Profile
- Born
- 27 Nov 1943 (age 82y 328d)
- Birthplace
- Wangaratta, VIC
- Height
- 185 cm
- Weight
- 79 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Wangaratta via Xavier College, Des Steele was a precocious wingman whose brief VFL career hinted at significant unfulfilled potential. Spotted by Phonse Kyne during a school match, Steele debuted as a teenager in the opening round of 1962 but struggled to cement a regular senior spot due to injury, including a troublesome jarred heel that derailed his 1963 campaign. Despite producing a best-on-ground performance against Essendon star Barry Capuano in what turned out to be his final League match, Steele grew disenchanted with the grind of city life and the logistical difficulties of commuting between work and training. He walked away from the VFL at just 20 years of age to return to the Ovens & Murray League, where he subsequently became a local legend and Team of the Century member for Wangaratta, leaving the Magpies to rue the loss of a genuine talent.