Doug Strang

Full Name: DOUG STRANG
Date of Birth: 12/07/1912
Height: 185 cm ( 6-1 )
Weight: 80 kg ( 12-8 )
Guernsey: 28
Debut: 02/05/1931, Round 1, Carlton
Last Game: 15/06/1935, Round 8, Geelong

RICHMOND SENIORS
Seasons: 1931-35
Total Games: 64
Total Goals: 180

Honours: Premiership 1932, Leading Goalkicker 1931 Goals 68, 1932 Goals 56, 1933 Goals 51.

RICHMOND RESERVES
Seasons: 1933
Total Games: 5
Total Goals: 5

BIOGRAPHY
Doug was a strong high marking centre-half-forward and full-forward.
He was was originally recruited from Jindera as part of a major country recruiting drive by the Tigers, who were eager to break a run of Grand Final losses to Collingwood dating back to 1927.

In just his second VFL game, his 14 goals 2 behinds kicked against North Melbourne in 1931 still stands to this day as the record for the most goals kicked by a Richmond player in a single game, and as the youngest player to kick ten or more goals in a VFL game, at just 18 years and 300 days old. He won the club Goal kicking award in 1931, 1932 and 1933 and kicked 5 goals or more 11 times.

In his first season Strang’s brilliant overhead marking, in spite of exceptionally wet weather for much of the winter, brought him sixty-eight goals with long drop kicks. In 1932, Strang struggled severely in another rainy winter, but from the time he kicked a goal after the bell to end an eleven match winning streak by Carlton, his brilliant marking asserted itself, most notably in a wonderful display on a dry ground in the second-semi-final.

1933 saw Strang begin to suffer from injuries later in the season. After he had seemingly returned to his best form with ten goals at Arden Street in the thirteenth round, Strang damaged a thigh when playing for the Tigers against the Ballarat League between the fifteenth and sixteenth rounds, and due to knee problems was not at his best when returning for the finals.
A member of the 1931 Grand Final side and the 1932 Premiership side, he missed playing in the 1933 Grand Final due to suspension after an incident that occurred in the preliminary final.

When the 1934 season opened it was thought Doug Strang would be fully fit, but after one impressive match in the second round against St. Kilda, it was soon discovered that the knee required an operation to repair a slipped disc, and Strang did not play again until the fourteenth round against Carlton. After that, however, the disc incapacitated him once more and he was a passenger on the forward flank by the seventeenth round.

These injuries meant Strang left Richmond during 1935, but he continued to play for Kyneton in 1936 before returning to Albury as a hotelier in 1937 after it was thought he would go back to Richmond. Strang continuing to kick many goals in the local leagues: in one game in 1939 he kicked 20, and he captain-coached Albury to two premierships in 1939 and 1940.
The Ovens and Murray League now presents the "Doug Strang Medal" to the Competition's leading Goal kicker each year.

His father Bill played 70 games with South Melbourne betwewen 1904 and 19193. Has the brother of dual Richmond premiership player Gordon Strang, St Kilda footballer Colin Strang, and South Melbourne footballer Allan Strang. He was the father of dual Richmond premiership player Geoff Strang, and the uncle of Richmond premiership player John Perry.

In addition to his footballing ability, Strang was an excellent bowler in country cricket for a number of years, in one innings for Kyneton he took six wickets for four runs each.

Strang died tragically at the age of just forty-one when he was hit by a car on Dean Street in Albury.

PRE RICHMOND
Jindera 1928-29 ; East Albury 1930.

POST RICHMOND
Kyneton 1935-37, Games 36, Goals 103 ( Honours - Premiership 1937, Leading Goalkicker 1936 Goals 76 )
East Albury 1937-40 ( Honours - Premiership 1939, Captain/Coach 1938-40, Club Leading Goalkicker 1938 Goals 129, 1939 Goals 118, 1940 Goals 40, Competition Leading Goalkicker 1938 Goals 129, 1939 Goals 118 ).

Photos
Pre Season 1931
Rd 1 1932 vs StKilda
HomePage

Bio compiled by Tigers of Old, Wayne Bird, Rhett Bartlett.