Vale Johnny Dougherty

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are mourning the passing of former South Sydney premiership-winner and five-eighth/centre, Johnny Dougherty, who passed away peacefully on Saturday, 27 September, aged 94. Mr Dougherty passed away peacefully at the Catholic Healthcare St John's Villa, New Lambton, and all his family were at his bedside when he passed away.

He was born John Patrick Dougherty on 18 April 1931 in Newcastle. He went to the same school as future Immortal, Clive Churchill, who was almost four years his senior. They were both products of their school in Marist Brothers Hamilton. Another interesting fact is that he was born on the same day and year as Les Brennan, who was his teammate at Souths in 1954-55.

Mr Dougherty was a schoolteacher all of his working life and upon finishing his studies at the Teachers' College he was sent to Warren in 1951, where he joined the local Warren district team in Group 15 as their captain-coach. They were the premiers in 1951-52, and they also won the Marcus Cup in 1952.

In 1952, Mr Dougherty represented Riverina and Western Districts against the touring New Zealand Kiwis at Young Showground, which the Kiwis won 22-5. In the same year he also represented the Western Districts against Western Suburbs Magpies in the annual Country Week game where Country districts played against a Sydney club. Wests won the game 47-14 and Dougherty scored a try.

Jack’s good form did not go unnoticed, and Souths signed him up later that year to play for them in 1953. While living in Sydney he was employed with Blackfriars in Sydney, which was the Education Department branch for long distance/correspondence schooling. Mr Dougherty became Rabbitohs player number 414 when he made his first grade debut at the South Sydney in his first year, in round two against Newtown at Redfern Oval. He then played in three straight premiership deciders with the Rabbitohs in 1953-55, winning all three premierships and scoring tries in the 1953 and 1954 Grand Finals. In 1954 he represented City Firsts and Sydney against the touring Great Britain side. He also played in two interstate games that year, scoring one try.

In 1956 he played in four interstate games, scoring two tries. In game two of the four-match series he withdrew from the game at half-time, owing to a pulled leg muscle. There were no replacements allowed in interstate games at the time and the Blues had to battle on without him, and as a result, Queensland won their only game of the series. The injury forced him to miss the next six club games.

In lead up to the First Test against the Kiwis, Dougherty was asked to do a fitness test because Australian five-eighth Cyril Connell (from Rockhampton) was in doubt with food poisoning. He trotted for several miles before telling the selectors that his pulled leg muscle is still troubling him, and then the selectors chose to stick with Connell, even though he wasn't 100% fit. Australia won a very tight Test by 12-9, which was played on a rain soaked muddy Sydney Cricket Ground pitch. Later that year Dougherty was told by Australian selectors he was a certainty for the 1956 Kangaroos Tour of Great Britain and France if fit, but he ruled himself out because he needed a hernia operation after Souths lost to Balmain in the preliminary final.

He was extremely disappointed at not being able to represent his country, and the great Clive Churchill once described Dougherty as one of the greatest players never to play for Australia. The Little Master later wrote in several newspaper columns how the acceleration of Dougherty was the spark in Souths during those golden years, and the overall importance he had to the team and their attack.

In the four years Mr Dougherty spent at the Rabbitohs he played in a total of 68 grade games, with 56 of them in first grade, scoring 28 tries and 15 goals. His recollection of those golden years spent at Souths still brought him fondness and everlasting memories. He said Clive Churchill always stood out as an exceptional person, he was naturally gifted and a brilliant player, and he was and always will be a legend of the game.

However, his most lasting memory and influence was their captain-coach, Jack Rayner. He thought Rayner was tough, strict and always got the best out of his players. He had a lot of authority at the club and Dougherty loved the free-flowing game they played in those years. He always admired Rayner.

Mr Dougherty left Sydney at the end of 1956 and moved to Newcastle, where he married Patricia Craig in January of that year, and soon after signed a contract to play for St. Patrick's Bathurst in Group 10 as their captain-coach in 1957-58. His only send-off in a game was during a game at Bathurst, where he was one of three players sent off and police were called in to contain the violent crowd.

Mr Dougherty took a year off from playing in 1959, then joined Central Charlestown in 1960-61 until retiring from playing football.

In August 2012, Ross Gigg and former South Sydney coach Johnny King went to visit Dougherty on behalf of the Men of League Foundation. He was also present with several members of his family at the 2014 Grand Final to watch Souths finally end their 43-year drought, when they defeated the Bulldogs by 30-6. In an interview published in the Newcastle Herald later that year, Mr Dougherty commented: "I'm still a Souths man through and through. I support the Knights too, but when they're playing Souths, I'm always a Souths fan."

In 2015, former Rabbitoh legend and now Immortal Ron Coote organised for Mr Dougherty to come and watch Souths in round one against the Sydney Roosters and meet the squad afterwards, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

On behalf of everyone connected with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Johnny Dougherty.

His funeral will be held this Friday 3 October, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Hamilton, Newcastle, at 1.30pm.