Desmond Hugh Fothergill (15 July 1920 – 16 March 1996) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL), and briefly in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).
From Collingwood Tech, Fothergill was a gifted sportsman who made his VFL debut aged 16, for the Collingwood Football Club in 1937. Fothergill was a small midfielder/half-forward who seemed too small at the start, at 172 cm and 73 kg, but his brilliance as a footballer was something that over-shadowed his liabilities. Fothergill made an impact straight away as he played brilliant football, winning a Copeland Trophy in his debut season, and would also kick 56 goals being the club's leading goalkicker.
In 1938, Fothergill was once again be a dominant member of the side, winning his second consecutive Copeland Trophy at the age of 18, and two years later, in 1940, Fothergill would win his third Copeland Trophy and be the best and fairest player in the league, along with South Melbourne player Herbie Matthews, winning the Brownlow Medal, playing up the ground in a midfield role.
A big change of events happened in 1941, as Fothergill and team-mate Ron Todd would go to Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Williamstown, with controversy as he did not receive a clearance by the VFL. Fothergill, at 20, would have left the Magpies at his prime, with three best and fairest awards and a Brownlow Medal. He was worth every cent to his new club, winning the Recorder Cup (best and fairest player in the VFA) in 1941, but with World War II, his playing days would seize in the league, and would join the army, to be forced to move on after a knee injury when up in Darwin, Northern Territory.
In 1945, Fothergill was forced to return to Collingwood after he left without a clearance, and dominated at half-forward for the club again, despite being slower and having injury problems. He kicked 62 goals in 45 games before kicking his way onto the Leading Goalkicker Medal list in 1946, despite being overtaken in the finals by Essendon's Bill Brittingham. He was forced to retire in 1947 due to a leg injury, and is still regarded as a true champion for the Magpies.
He was named in the Collingwood Team of the Century, as well as being an Australian Football Hall of Fame member.
Fothergill also played 27 first-class cricket matches for Victoria, making 1404 runs at 39.00 with one century. He made his hundred against South Australia in 1947 and once made 99 against the Australian Services XI.
After retiring from football he moved to England and played for the Enfield Cricket Club in the Lancashire League.
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