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Percy Bentley

Full Name: PERCY BENTLEY
Date of Birth: 13/12/1906
Height: 183 cm ( 6-0 )
Weight: 88 kg ( 13-12 )
Guernsey: 1
Debut: 01/08/1925, Round 12, Hawthorn
Last Game: 28/09/1940, Round GF, Melbourne


RICHMOND SENIORS
Seasons: 1925-40
Total Games: 263
Total Goals: 272

Honours:
Premiership 1932, 1934, Captain 1932-33, Captain/Coach 1934-40, VFL Representative 1932-33, 1936-37 Games 6 Goals 7, VFL Captain 1933.


RICHMOND RESERVES
Seasons: 1924-26
Total Games: 20
Total Goals: 27

Honours:


RICHMOND THIRDS/U19s
Seasons:
Total Games:
Total Goals:

Honours:


BIOGRAPHY
Percival “Percy” Bentley was a well-built but mobile ruckman who came to Richmond as a forward from Castlemaine via a local Richmond church team. He was a very strong player and a great on-field leader who set the example for his teammates to follow. He was a rugged player who used his ample physical strength to gain the best position in rucking and marking contests. He was very dangerous when resting in the forward line where he scored 5 goals or more six times in his career. His highest individual goal tally was7 against Geelong in Round 6 of 1937 and his senior games tally of 263, currently places him in sixth position for the most club games played.
He was a member of the 1932 and 1934 Premiership sides and the 1927, 1929, 1933 and 1940 Grand Final sides. He represented Victoria six times and was Victorian captain in 1933. He was captain in 1932 and 1933 before taking over as playing-coach between 1934 and 1940. During that time Richmond won 86 games and drew one from 133 played. He was Richmond’s longest-serving captain, leading the club in 168 games between 1932 and 1940 and was awarded Life Membership in 1934. He was part of a champion first ruck along with Jack Dyer and Ray Martin;- all three regularly representing Victoria. One of his coaching innovations at Richmond was to rest the ruckman in the forward pocket and then have the full-forward lead up the ground with the opposing full-back, leaving the resting ruckman to move into the goal square to mark a high kick. Percy left Richmond due to a pay dispute prior to the 1941 season.
He crossed to Carlton in 1941 and went on to become a dual Premiership coach leading them to victories in 1945 and 1947. Carlton also finished second in 1949. He coached the Blues 281 times for 167 wins and four draws. In all, he coached in a total of 414 VFL games for 253 wins, five draws and 156 losses between 1934 and 1955. After finishing as Carlton’s Senior coach, he served as a selector and committeeman for 25 years, and was Vice President when he died in 1982. Away from football, he won the Australian Pigeon Cup Shooting award as well as running third in the Commonwealth Mixed Bird Shooting Championship. In 1996 he was inducted into the AFL's Hall of Fame . Percy's son Bruce, played one senior game for Carlton, in 1964.

PRE RICHMOND
Castlemaine Technical School Team 1921-22 , Burnley Methodists 1923-24 ( Honours - Leading Goalkicker 1924 Goals 68 ).


POST RICHMOND
Carlton Senior Coach 1941-55 ( Honours - Premiership 1945 , 1947 ).








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