Former captain and six-time Best and Fairest winner Gary Dempsey has been elevated to Legend status at the Club’s 2023 Hall of Fame event.
Dempsey has always been described as one of the all-time Bulldog greats, with that honour now formally bestowed upon him.
He was inducted into the inaugural Bulldogs’ Hall of Fame in 2010, following a decorated 207-game career in the red, white and blue.
A formidable ruck and quality person during his star playing days in the 1970s, Dempsey still holds the record for most Charles Sutton Medals won consecutively (1973-1977).
He earned his maiden All Australian blazer in 1972 and claimed the Brownlow Medal in 1975.
Dempsey’s consistency was highlighted by a record 13 finishes in the Brownlow Top 10 – with nine of these occasions happening during his career at the Kennel.
He served as captain across two periods (1971-72 and 1977-78), was named ruckman in the Bulldogs’ Team of the Century and inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 post-retirement.
Dempsey already has the third-placed medal in the Club Best and Fairest named in his honour, and now joins the likes of Doug Hawkins, Chris Grant and Ted Whitten as official Legends of the red, white and blue.
Established in 2010, the Footscray-Western Bulldogs Hall of Fame honours those whose involvement and contribution to the Club has been significant, memorable and worthy of celebration.
Gary Dempsey
Played: 1967-78
Games: 207 (91 wins, 3 draws, 113 losses - Success ratio 44.69%)
Goals: 105
Captain: (4) 1971-72, 1977-78
Best & Fairest: (6) 1970, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 r/u: (3) 1971, 72, 78 3rd: nil Top 3: 9 times
Leading Club Goalkicker: nil
Brownlow Medal: 1975
Brownlow career votes at Foots: 148.5* (*votes halved in the years 1976-77 due to double votes being awarded)
Finals: (2) 1974, 1976
Night Premierships: (2) 1967, 1970
Victorian Rep Games at Foots: (17) 1970, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78
All-Australian: (1 from 1) 1972
Inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame: 1996
Foots/WB Team of Century: Ruck
Foots/WB Hall of Fame: 2010
