Former Geelong player and Geelong Falcons premiership coach Damien Christensen has revealed he is battling a rare cancer.
Christensen was diagnosed late last year with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA).
eCCA is a cancer of the bile ducts that forms outside the liver, leading to blockage and symptoms like jaundice, itchy skin, weight loss, and abdominal pain.
The 62-year-old played 17 games for the Cats between 1983-86 and guided a star-studded Falcons line-up to the 2000 TAC Cup premiership.
Recruited from then GDFL club Lara, Christensen made an impressive debut in Round 11, 1983, kicking three goals and gathering 22 disposals as the Cats upset eventual premier Hawthorn by seven points at Princes Park.
The midfielder played a further four games in his first season, but only one in 1984 due to injury and two in 1985 after being unable to break into Tom Hafey’s team.
Christensen played nine consecutive games in the first half of 1986 under John Devine, but he suffered a serious hamstring injury mid-season and didn’t return to the top level, joining SANFL club West Torrens in 1987.
During his time at the Cats, he also played in the Northern Territory with St Mary’s, winning the Nichols Medal as league best-and-fairest in 1986, featuring in two premierships, and representing the NTFL twice.
Christensen also won a best-and-fairest with VFA club Werribee in 1989 before rejoining Lara as playing coach in 1990 – its second season in the GFL – and guiding the Cats to consecutive grand finals in 1992-93.
After a season with Hampden League Camperdown in 1994, he captain-coached Williamstown in 1995 during a tumultuous time in the Victorian state league.
Christensen returned to the GFL in 1996 with St Joseph’s, taking the Joeys to the 1997 grand final, where North Shore beat them in a high-scoring decider after leading at three-quarter time.
Christensen took on the Geelong Falcons role ahead of the 2000 season, and he spent six years in the position.
He led the Falcons to their second TAC Cup flag in his first season with a team featuring future AFL greats Gary Ablett Jnr, Luke Hodge, and Jimmy Bartel.
Christensen then took charge of VFL outfit Box Hill Hawks for two years in 2006-07.
His final senior coaching role was with GFNL club Newtown & Chilwell in 2016, stepping down after one year due to a change in his role with Victoria Police, from which he retired after a 35-year career in late 2023, reaching the rank of inspector.
Christensen played several games for Geelong alongside his brother Marty.
Nephew Allan also played for Geelong and was part of the Cats’ 2011 premiership team before finishing his career with the Brisbane Lions.
This article has been written with the permission of the Christensen family.
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