Mt Lofty District Football Club would like to thank Ian Deans and welcome Ian Deans, who is a Life Member of the Mt Lofty District Football Club and did us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member Coin for the 2026 HFL Round 3 match against Uraidla. A round particularly specially being falling on ANZAC Day. Ian was joined by his wife Mary, his two brothers Bruce and Harry Deans with their wives Dianne and Lynda.
The Deans Family were extremely proud to be asked to toss the coin for this ANZAC Day match. This is especially significant, as their parents Frank and Joan, were involved in World War 2. Frank was a Northern Territory Policeman who joined up and saw action in the Malayan Peninsula and the Battle of Singapore. He was captured and imprisoned in Changi for 3 years. Their mother, Joan, was an English woman serving as a Nursing sister on the English Hospital ships throughout the war. Frank and Joan met after the war and married, however due to the terrible deprivation Frank suffered in Changi prison, he endured ill health and died suddenly, leaving Joan with 6 children. The Deans became a Legacy Family, and to this day, are grateful for the support Legacy gave to our mother and our family.
The five boys of the Deans family, Bruce, Harry, Jim, Ian and Tom, have all been involved with, and played in, Aldgate & Heathfield United Football club. This ultimately became the Mt Lofty & District Football Club that we know today. During this time with the Club the Deans brothers have played in a total of 17 Premierships. One in particular stands out, when Harry Deans kicked the winning goal after the final siren to win the 1986 A Grade Grand final. Harry was subsequently presented with the “Golden Boot” which the club still has, and is displayed in the clubrooms. Tom Deans, was the Mt Lofty & District Football Club A Grade Best & Fairest on two occasions.
On behalf of everybody at Mt Lofty, we thank you sincerely for all you have done for the club.
Back row: Greg Bond, Mt Lofty President, Renae Deans, Mt Lofty Life Member Ian Deans, Daniel Deans, Paul Deans, Seb Deans, Bruce Deans, Diane Deans, Steve Dunning, Haydn O’Shaghnessy, Trevor Ranford.
Front row with Harry Deans: Lynda Deans, Laura Deans and Mary Deans
United Premiership Players from the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Don Lobban (official), David Evans, Trevor Ranford, Ian Deans, Haydn O’Shaughnessy, Bruce Deans, Steven Dunning and Harry Deans.
L to R Diane Deans, Laura Deans and Lynda Deans
