Bandy Adams

{{Short description|Australian rugby league player (1934-2020)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

| name = Bandy Adams

| image =

| fullname = Don Patrick Adams

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|02|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Maitland, NSW, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|03|04|1934|02|15|df=yes}}

| death_place = Scone, NSW, Australia

| position = {{rlp|WG}}

|teamA = NSW Country

|yearAstart = 1955

|yearAend = 59

|appearancesA = 5

|triesA = 4

|goalsA = 0

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 12

|teamB = New South Wales

|yearBstart = 1955

|yearBend = 56

|appearancesB = 9

|triesB = 13

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 39

|teamC = Australia

|yearCstart = 1956

|yearCend =

|appearancesC = 5

|triesC = 5

|goalsC = 0

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 15

| module = {{infobox person

| embed = yes

| father =

| mother =

| spouse =

| education =

| alma_mater =

| relatives = David Adams (son)
Adam Clydesdale (grandson)
Jock Madden (great nephew)

}}

}}

Don Patrick "Bandy" Adams (15 February 1934 – 4 March 2020){{cite news |title=Death of Don 'Bandy' Adams |url=https://www.gloucesteradvocate.com.au/story/6808154/death-of-don-bandy-adams/ |work=Gloucester Advocate |date=16 July 2020 |language=en-AU}} was an Australian rugby league player.{{cite news |title=Bandy's one of the legends |url=https://www.sconeadvocate.com.au/story/3292050/bandys-one-of-the-legends/ |work=The Scone Advocate |date=20 August 2015 |language=en-AU}}

Born in Maitland, Adams was a stocky winger known for his career as a player/coach across the Hunter Valley during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He went by the nickname "Bandy" and made 191 appearances for his hometown side the Maitland Pickers. After making his first-grade debut for Maitland in a grand final at the age of 17, Adams began his representative career in 1955 with appearances for both New South Wales and NSW Country.{{cite news |last1=Toohey |first1=Barry |title=Don "Bandy" Adams, a legend of league and former Kangaroos winger, passes away in Scone at 86 |url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6664053/don-bandy-adams-a-legend-of-league-and-former-kangaroos-winger-passes-away-in-scone-at-86/ |work=Newcastle Herald |date=5 March 2020 |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Rod |title=Bandy was an 'icon' of the game |url=https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/6674699/bandy-was-an-icon-of-the-game/ |work=The Northern Daily Leader |date=11 March 2020 |language=en-AU}}

Adams was a member of the Australia team for all three of their 1956 home Test matches against New Zealand, scoring two tries on debut, including a last-minute match-winner. He followed this up with a hat-rick in the 3rd Test in Sydney. These performances helped him gain a place on the 1956–57 tour of Great Britain and France, where he featured in a further two Test matches and accumulated 11 tries from 15 tour fixtures.{{cite news |title=Farewell to a 'true great' of the game - Don 'Bandy' Adams |url=https://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/6663157/farewell-to-a-true-great-of-the-game-don-bandy-adams/ |work=The Maitland Mercury |date=4 March 2020 |language=en-AU}}

As a coach, Adams had stints in charge of Gloucester, Scone, Muswellbrook and the Northern Division representative side, which included future international second-rower Noel Cleal.{{cite web |title=NRL 2020: In memoriam |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/14/nrl-2020-in-memoriam/ |website=National Rugby League |language=en |date=18 December 2020}}

Adams was the father of Manly and Balmain halfback David and grandfather of NRL hooker Adam Clydsdale. His brother's grandson is Brisbane Broncos halfback Jock Madden.{{cite news |last1=Hartshorn |first1=Michael |title=Madden puts his own stamp on Aussie honour |url=https://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/5549711/madden-puts-his-own-stamp-on-aussie-honour/ |work=The Maitland Mercury |date=26 July 2018 |language=en-AU}}