Sid Deane

Norths five-eighth played in the club's inaugural season in April 1908. Sid Deane was a fine utility back who represented NSW against the NZ ‘All Golds’, which had returned from their ground-breaking trip to England, after only two club games in 1908. Deane also played in the first interstate clash that year before gaining selection on the pioneer 1908-09 Kangaroo Tour. After making his Test debut in the centres in the First Test in England he accepted an offer from Oldham to remain in England after the tour and won successive championship finals in 1910-11. Deane also played for ‘Colonials’ against the 1910 Lions and was the first Australian to represent Lancashire in the English County Championship. After his return to Norths in 1912 he represented NSW again and led the Blues on a short tour of NZ (a squad which also contained his brother Os). In 1914 Deane led Australia in all three Tests of the Ashes series against the visiting Lions. At the end of the season he returned to England and played for Hull. Just two seasons later, Deane announced that he was returning to Australia to enlist in World War I. Although retiring as a player in 1917, he played in one final match during the 1919 season. Deane, who was the uncle of Australian Test half and former Norths' president Bob Sullivan, later operated the family’s sports store in Walker Street, North Sydney.