By Aaron Kirkby-Rodier
Denis Knight has had an amazing football journey that has taken him all around the country and he’s had success just about stop.
Knight started his junior career at St Peters in East Bentleigh.
“I think we won 5 out of 8 premierships, I don’t think I lost a game of footy until my 4th or 5th year of playing. We had a really good side.”
Through his junior career Knight would be an outstanding player in a brilliant side and was rewarded at young age with a chance at Melbourne.
“Back in those days they had VFL under 19s and Development squads. So in about under 15s I was with Melbourne’s because I was in their area. I started training with the under 19s as a 15 year old but I didn’t play until I was 17.”
In 1988 Knight would have an outstanding season in the under 19s and won the best and fairest.
“I thought I went alright I won a best and fairest in the under 19s. I played some reserved footy but I didn’t get drafted.”
With Knight missing out on the AFL dream he would make his first trip interstate and travel south for his first year of senior football.
“I played my first year of senior footy in Tasmania for South Launceston. I enjoyed it a lot it was bloody cold. We finished down the bottom but I had a great time that year.”
“I came back to Victoria and played with Dandenong. Tony Armstrong was the coach and we had some success winning a flag. The club mainly recruited players that hadn’t quite made AFL but were still good trainers, it was a pretty smart move considering it was 25 years ago.”
Knight would win the flag with Dandenong in 1992 before making the move to Springvale where he would become part of a very successful era when the club won 4 out of 5 premierships.
“We had a 20 year reunion the week before last and it just reminds you of how it was all worth it at the time. We were a great team on and off the field, we had success along the way and we had so much fun doing it. You don’t ever get that in your life again to that degree.”
Having missed out when at Melbourne the AFL dream still was burning inside through periods of his career.
“I had a couple of goes at it, I’m one of those people that you either did or you didn’t and I didn’t. Certainly not one of those people who have regrets, I am really happy with what I’ve got and I would have loved to of played but if I did I might not have all of the team success I’ve managed to have.”
During his time at Springvale on top of the Premierships and Best and Fairests, Knight would be named as Captain in the Springvale Team of the Century as well as that he would have a place in the VFL Team of the Decade.
“Obviously it an honour, I never looked at personal accolades. Even today as a coach I am hell bent on team success and that’s how I’ve always been. I have been lucky that I’ve been in the sides I have and maybe if I didn’t have the individual success it might mean something.”
Knight’s time would come to an end with Springvale and he would make an appearance in the Eastern Football League for the first time.
“Springvale won 4 out of 5 flags and I’d also been an assistant coach on match committees for 5 years so I felt the next step was coaching. Back then local clubs had captain coaches and I felt I still had football in me so Noble Park was just around the corner and I knew a few people there.”
In 2003 the Bulls would win their first premiership in the EFL under Knight, his first as coach. Knight would also complete the treble by winning the Chandler and the Grand Final Best On Ground Medals.
“I must admit winning the first one in particular you feel like you have a bit of ownership over it, with planning and recruiting and putting it all together. Reality is it didn’t happen overnight it took us years to build it, really we were a second Division club when we first came to the EFL.”
The Bulls would win back to back when they won in 2004.
“To win it back to back and the twos winning it the second year as well it was the closest thing to perfection I think I’ve been a part of.”
Knight would move to Queensland and take the senior coaching job at Broadbeach.
“That was a family move and to be honest I had no intentions of being involved in footy when I moved up there, I ended up playing a few games which I shouldn’t have and circumstances evolved and I ended up coaching for a few years.”
“The first year we finished second which was the highest the club had ever finished, we lost 5 of our back 6 just before finals.”
“The next year was great even though we missed finals we had a massive list turnover. We had a few young kids coming through including Dayne Zorko and Darin Stewart, I think we were nearly the best performed side in the second half of the season but we missed out on the finals.”
Knight was offered the job with Labrador after his time with Broadbeach but for the one of the rare times throughout his career it wouldn’t be a successful stay.
“Labrador didn’t go that well, they played in a grand final the year before I was there and I took over but we lost a dozen players and the joint just fell apart, I ended up getting sacked and I don’t think the club ended up winning a game for another 3 or 4 years after that.”
When Knight moved to Victoria a good friend had him interview for the position at Norwood, despite already spending 5 years in the league the name wasn’t familiar.
“I never even knew who Norwood was to be truthful, I’d never heard of them I had to look up where the ground was and what colours they were.”
Knight would again reach the ultimate success when he would steer Norwood to the 2014 premiership, his 3rd in the EFL after going back to back with Noble Park a decade earlier.
“The history of the two clubs are different and so are the cultures.”
“I know every club likes to say how much of a family and community club they are but I don’t think I’ve seen such a community club as what Norwood is and to see the enjoyment of the people that are a part of that was really special.”
Norwood were talked about as possible contenders at the start of the season, but with some of the leagues big guns still around the top many people around the league found it hard to install them as premiership favourites. Knight felt there was a turning point when he really felt it was there for the taking.
“I always believed we had a side that was capable, we had a number of key injuries in the second half of the year and we really had to man manage. We were able to get some boys back and when we beat Balwyn away I think that’s when I really started selling it to the players.”
In 2015 Knight had the job of coaching the EFL on Interleague day, where the EFL defeated the WRFL.
“I enjoyed it, I wear a Norwood hat but I am a really proud EFL person. I just think it’s a great competition, its clean, its good football and we talk about community clubs I think the EFL is a community.”
“I take a lot of pride in the EFL. I like to think that I coach Norwood in the best competition in Victoria.”
Knight’s passion for the league and the game is evident.
“I’d love to see the EFL get back to Number 1 next year.”
Denis Knight has brought success to just about every club he has either played or coached with and that looks like continuing with the Norseman. One of the EFL greatest members still has time to add to that trophy cabinet.
