| David Cordner | |
| Birth Date: | 25 May 1962 |
| Originalteam: | Old Melburnians |
| Height: | 192 cm |
| Weight: | 92 kg |
| Statsend: | 1988 |
| Years1: | 1982–1987 |
| Club1: | Melbourne |
| Games Goals1: | 53 (61) |
| Years2: | 1988 |
| Club2: | Sydney Swans |
| Games Goals2: | 5 (6) |
| Games Goalstotal: | 58 (67) |
David Baillieu Cordner (born 25 May 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne and the Sydney Swans in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Cordner's father, Ted, was a member of Melbourne's 1941 premiership team.[1] Three uncles also played with Melbourne in the VFL, two-time best and fairest winner Denis, Brownlow Medalist Don and John, who also represented Victoria in cricket.[1] David's grandfather, Edward, played twice for Melbourne in 1905 and appeared in a further 60 games with University.[1]
A key forward, Cordner started his career in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, with Old Melburnians.[1] [2]
Cordner had a prolific Under-19s season in 1981, when he kicked over 100 goals.[1] [2] This included a 12-goal haul in Melbourne's semi-final win over Hawthorn and five in their grand final win over Geelong.[3] [4]
In his first two seasons with the seniors, Cordner struggled with injury, but in the 1984 VFL season put together 17 games.[2] [5] His 32 goals that year were bettered by only one teammate, Kelvin Templeton (51).[5]
He kicked seven goals against Fitzroy on the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the opening round of the 1985 season.[5] For the rest of the season he kicked only 14 more goals, but he was also used as a defender.[2] [5] In 1986 he missed the early part of the season with a broken collarbone and only managed nine appearances that year.[5] [6]
Cordner decided to change clubs in 1988, after making just one appearance for Melbourne in 1987.[5] Talks were held with Geelong and Footscray, but it was the Sydney Swans that secured his services, on a one-year contract.[7] [8] The Swans were looking for a key forward to cover the loss of Warwick Capper, who had gone to the Brisbane Bears.[8]
He played only five games for the Swans, the last in round seven.[5]