Don Furner

Don Furner (26 December 1932 – 24 February 2020) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. As a player, he represented Queensland on nine occasions and also toured with the 1956–57 Kangaroos.[1]

Don Furner
Personal information
Born(1932-12-26)26 December 1932
Condobolin, New South Wales, Australia
Died24 February 2020(2020-02-24) (aged 87)
Playing information
PositionForward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1951–53 Souths (Toowoomba)
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19??–?? Queensland
1956 Australia 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1965–69 Queanbeyan
1970–72 Eastern Suburbs 69 40 2 27 58
1973–81 Queanbeyan
1982–87 Canberra Raiders 153 59 3 91 39
Total 222 99 5 118 45
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1986–88 Australia 15 13 0 2 87
2000 Fiji 3 1 0 2 33

He began his coaching career as a player-coach with Junee in 1964. In that year, the team won their first Group 9 grand final as well as the Maher Cup. In 1965 he began coaching the Queanbeyan Blues, guiding that club to three successive Group 8 premierships (1965–67) and a further two Grand Finals (1968–69). He coached the Eastern Suburbs Roosters (1970–72), whom he took to the 1972 NSWRFL season's premiership final. He returned to the Queanbeyan Blues from 1973 to 1981, his team reaching the Grand Final in each of those nine seasons, including six premierships and a Clayton Cup win in 1974.[2] Furner then became the first coach of the newly formed Canberra Raiders.[3] Furner also coached the Canberra club to the 1987 NSWRL season's Grand Final.[4] He later joined Parramatta for the 1985 NSWRL season.[3] He was appointed the Australian national coach from 1986 to 1988. He coached the NSW Country team and two now-defunct Group 20 clubs, Narrandera Lizards in 1998 and Yanco Wamoon Hawks in 2005. He took the latter to the 2005 group 20 grand final, which they lost to West Wyalong.

His sons are David Furner who used to be a player and coach of the Canberra Raiders and Don Furner, Jr. who became the Canberra Raiders' CEO. Furner died on 24 February 2020, aged 87.[5]

References
  1. Sean Fagan (2006). "Kangaroo Tour: 1956–1957". rl1908.com. Australia. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  2. "Queanbeyan Blues win league cup". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 14 October 1974. p. 14. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. Lester, Gary, ed. (1984). Rugby League: Action '85. Sydney: Fairfax Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 0-909558-83-3.
  4. ACT Sport Hall of Fame inductees Archived 1 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine at actsport.com.au
  5. https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2020/02/25/vale-don-furner-senior/
Sporting positions
New creation Canberra Raiders coach
1982–1986		 Succeeded by
Himself
and
Wayne Bennett
as co-coaches
Preceded by
Terry Fearnley		 Australia coach
1986–1988		 Succeeded by
Bob Fulton


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