Alex Hall with children June and Jock, alongside Mark Coniston, a former team mate of Hall’s dad, holding the Jamie Dennis Cup which will be on offer this Saturday when Scottsdale play North Launceston.

May 14, 2025

Honouring a Magpie legend with historic NTFA meeting

By Rachel Williams

For the first time in 40 years, Scottsdale will play North Launceston for Premiership points but this Saturday’s contest is about so much more.

The two clubs have combined to honour a former champion of both clubs, midfield star and Tasmanian Hall of Fame member Jamie Dennis.

His daughter Alex Hall will run out with the highly-fancied Scottsdale women’s team and says the occasion will no doubt be overwhelming.

“I have been feeling a bit anxious about it when I started thinking about it but I will be okay on the day. It will give me something good to focus on,” she said.

“Sometimes the spotlight is a little bit hard for me. But I am really glad that his friends and team-mates appreciate it, because ultimately what is important is that he played at a time when Scottsdale was very successful and so connected and they were such good friends, so it is special.”

Jamie died from cancer in 1995 when Alex was just five years old. She never got to see him play.

“I was one when he retired and he died four years later,” she said.

“It has been really nice that both clubs came together and came up with the idea.

“It’s going to be the first time in
such a long time that North and Scottsdale have played one another in a proper game, it was a good opportunity to do it.”

The sides did play to honour Dennis after his passing in some pre-season matches.

“I was only a bit older than (son) Jock when they used to have it as a pre-season practice match. I remember being at one, so I would have been six or seven.”

The clubs will meet this Saturday for the first time since 1985 in a home-and-away match, with Scottsdale playing host to four games.

The winner of the Jamie Dennis Cup will be based on the total scores kicked by each team across the four matches on the day, being Under 18, Senior Women, Reserves Men and Senior Men.

While the senior men’s team has been criticised for a lack of depth upon entry into the Premier League competition, the total on the day may be closer than some people think.

“North have only just got a side in the women’s space this year so if we play well we should be confident to get the job done,” Hall said.

“North also didn’t have an under 18 side last year so they have a new side up and going so our under 18s should be strong enough to beat them as well.

“I don’t know about the reserves
and obviously the senior men’s will be tough.”

Regardless of the result, Hall said it will mean a lot of have her dad’s former friends and team mates
along to the match to watch, with the Club’s Life Members also set to be in attendance.

“It is amazing. Everyone who talks about him has really positive things to say but they usually say how competitive he was on the field but when he walked off it he was just a down-to-earth farmer really,” she said

“He loved a joke and a beer. He was really cheeky.”

That assessment was confirmed by his long-time mate Mark Coniston.

Coniston went to school with Dennis and played school footy with him before progressing to play with the Magpies together.

“He always had ability,” Coniston recalled.

“We played in an under 19 Premiership team with Scottsdale in 1977 and then progressed to seniors in 1979.

“He was a real good kick, and he was fast and a tenacious little bugger.

“Whatever he did, everything had to be perfection. And he was good at everything which was annoying!

“Jamie wasn’t only a good footballer.
He was a good all-round sportsman.He was a good golfer – he’d hate having to play with me because I was hopeless!

“A lot of people don’t realise he was also a good badminton player, and we won the doubles northern championship when we were 17 or 18.

“He was brilliant most of the time.
He was very well balanced and a tough little bugger.

“He was a terrific friend and a terrific fella. We used to go fishing and shooting and a fair bit of drinking! It was terrible when we lost him.”

Dennis was a three-time Scottsdale Football Club premiership player
(1982, ’84, ’86) and four-time Scottsdale Football Club Best & Fairest Winner
(1983, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86). He claimed two Hec Smith Medals for the NTFA Best & Fairest (1982 and ‘84).

He left Scottsdale to play in the Tasmanian Football League from 1988–1993 with North where he was a two-time runner-up in the Bombers’ Best & Fairest.

“But his heart was always at Scottsdale where he started. He was very loyal,” Consiton said.

“He would love this if he was still here.”

Saturday’s Schedule, scottsdale football ground

8.45am Under 18 Boys, 10.40am Reserves, 12.35pm Senior Women, 2.30pm Senior Men.