Denniss downed in 600th
By Tony Salerno
Wyong Lakes Magpie, Billy Denniss, notched a remarkable milestone in the Black Diamond AFL on the weekend as he played his 600th game for the club.
The Magpies went down by a point against Cardiff in the milestone game 11.10 (76) to 11.9 (75) at Don Small Oval.
Denniss is one of the Black Diamond AFL’s longest servants, with the 42-year-old joining Wyong Lakes back in 1983.
He has played almost 30 seasons, missing only years 1999-2001 when the Wyong Lakes Magpies went into recess.
The rover regards durability as his strong point, only missing a handful of games through injury and unavailability.
Denniss made his senior debut at age 15, playing Under-15s, Under-17s and seniors, as he racked up 51 games in the 1985 season.
Denniss collected the most consistent player award for reserve grade in 1989 before winning the first grade’s most consistent player in 1995.
Denniss’ career highlight was the club’s back-to back premiership in 2003-2004, where he captained the side to their second straight title.
Another memorable moment was when the Magpies defeated arch-rivals Killarney Vale in his 300th game.
The 600-game landmark coincided with the club’s Pink Day, which was a fundraiser for breast cancer.
The club sported a pink guernsey and socks in support of the illness.
The club legend is ten games short of reaching 500 senior matches for the Wyong Lakes Magpies.
