When Dennis Powell was lured from the midlands township of Tunnack to play league football no-one including him knew exactly where he would play. Powell was quick witted, always loved a bit of fun and wasn't in any hurry to move to the big smoke. Powell was approached by many clubs and because his friend Max Byers played with North Hobart it seemed likely he would play with the Robins. History has it that Powell, after a belated start to the 1957 season, became a Tiger. This association started a football career that was to produce an outstanding record.
Powell wasn't so sure. During his first season, the club he was to originally play with, North Hobart, took the flag. His side, Hobart, finished third after losing the preliminary final.
However Powell quickly settled into the tempo of TFL football. Nothing seemed to worry him only the umpires - " They never gave me a go " he laughed. Powell was an extremely versatile ruckman who handled all weather conditions and for that matter all comers. He was tireless, and his palming skills were superb. Powell and on ball duo, Mal Pascoe and Burnie Payne
, formed the most dominant rucking combination of their era. They soon became known as the three "P's".
Success wasn't far away. The Tigers won the 1959 flag in a wet weather slog against New Norfolk. Then repeated the dose against North Hobart in 1960 to make it back to back flags. Again in 1963 against a far more fancied Sandy Bay, with Powell best on ground; and then withstood Glenorchy's last quarter burst in '66 to win by the barest possible margin. In all Powell played in 4 premiership teams in a career that spanned 15 seasons. While all this was going on he represented the TFL 14 times, the State 5 times, won a Weller Arnold Medal in 1962 and won Hobart's best & fairest award an astonishing 6 times. Astonishing when you consider the calibre of players that wore the black &
gold during those days. In all he played 272 games with the Tigers - a League record, and won virtually every player's award going. Remarkably, Powell polled few votes in the William Leitch - " I told you the umpires had it in for me. "
Highlights: " Well there were plenty, " recalled Powell. The 1960 premiership against North Hobart where neither side scored in the last quarter. The weather was bleak and it rained or snowed all day. Arthur Cole was a match winner. He went to the backline and marked the ball like it was a summer's day. And of course the one point win over Glenorchy in '66. Ronnie Marney
never forgot it. " Forget the footy, what about the social life?" he chuckled. "Kevin (Kazza) Bailey, Jim McKellar and Alan Appleton's rendition of OH DIANA was a favourite at players nights. Those days Arthur Cole had an Oldsmobile and a car load of us went from the GPO to New Norfolk in 13 minutes. No-one wanted to come back with him after the game. Then there were the shooting trips up the midlands on Sundays. Kazza Bailey got knocked out one week but he still went. Delayed concussion set in. He spent the next week in the Royal - lucky to be alive. "
Great players of his era. " Well I couldn't start to mention the Hobart boys. It was a real team effort - I will probably leave a good player out. They were a great bunch of blokes - we stayed together for years and the result was four flags. Of the opposition: there was Glenorchy's Kevin Baker in the ruck and Ronnie Marney roving. Marney was the best mark for a small man I ever saw. Max Griffiths was the superstar of the League. Stuart Spencer
and Russell Newell from Clarence were great players and North Hobart's John Leedham
and Noel Clarke
were match winners. The midlands competition when I was young, was very strong and a lot of us went on to play at TFL & VFL level. The State School Old Boys, now the thirds, was also a terrific standard. That's where Ian Stewart
started out. "
Life today? Well Dennis Powell still keeps his hand in workwise. He retired from the Hydro a few years ago but spends a lot of time in the midlands - wood cutting and crutching sheep. He also works as a shed hand for 5 experienced shearers during the wool season.
Occasionally he goes to the footy and recalls going to the final game of the Tigers in the TFL at the TCA. While saddened by Hobart's demise in the TFL Powell still had hopes they would resurface in the big league one day. "At least the club survived in the SFL" he says.
Powell is still as quick witted as ever and his record speaks for itself. Described by some as the greatest club ruckman ever in the TFL. He was the corner stone of the Three "P's".
One of the all time greats from Tigerland.
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Dennis Powell - A Tasmanian Football Legend
