Recruited from Bordertown where he had won the 1960 Mail Medal, Denis was a strong-marking, long-kicking forward who played 25 games for North from 1963 to 1966, scoring 34 goals.  He debuted for North in Round 1 of 1963 and the highlight of his league career was being part of North’s 1963 finals campaign where North beat West Adelaide in the first semi-final and minor premier West Torrens in the preliminary final before succumbing to Port Adelaide in the Grand Final. Denis was awarded the Best Forward trophy for the league team at the end of his debut season.

Denis continued to commute from Bordertown for another three seasons and was leading goalkicker for the second eighteens team in both 1965 and 1966. He was an important part of the second eighteen premiership side in 1965, kicking 4 goals.

Denis was a plumber by trade and pressures of work and the tiring 3½ hour trip from Bordertown to Adelaide saw him retire from league football at the end of 1966.  He continued playing for Bordertown for many years though, and won his second Mail Medal for the Tatiara League in 1975, a staggering 15 years after his first win.  He continued playing for Bordertown into the 1980s.

Nicknamed Muncher, Denis was a larger than life character who was much loved by the Rooster faithful both at North Adelaide and Bordertown.  He passed away at the age of in October, 2014.

The North Adelaide Football Club remembers with much fondness a big-hearted country giant of the game.