Gavin Lester
{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Gavin Lester
|fullname = Gavin Lester
|nickname =
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|country =
|position = {{rlp|WG}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|1|5|df=y}}
|birth_place = Sydney, Australia
|height =
|weight =
|club1 = Canterbury Bulldogs
|year1start = 1998
|year1end = 02
|appearances1 = 40
|tries1 = 13
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 52
|club2 = Sydney Roosters
|year2start = 2004
|year2end =
|appearances2 = 10
|tries2 = 3
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 12
|updated = 17 January 2019
|new = yes
}}
Gavin Lester (born 5 January 1977) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters, as a {{rlp|wg}}.{{cite web
|url = http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/ambassador/gavin-lester
|title = Apprentices 'more likely to stay': Gavin Lester
|last =
|first =
|date =
|website = Australian Apprentices
|publisher = Australian Government
|accessdate = 7 December 2013
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190318090852/https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/ambassador/gavin-lester
|archive-date = 18 March 2019
|url-status = dead
}}
Background
Lester was born in Sydney. He played his junior rugby league with La Perouse United.
Playing career
He began his career in 1998 with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on the bench, in Canterbury's 24–10 loss against the Balmain Tigers in Round 4 at Belmore Oval in which he scored a try.
Lester played 22 games as Canterbury finished 9th on the table and qualified for the finals. Canterbury proceeded to make the 1998 NRL Grand Final after winning 4 sudden death elimination matches in a row including the club's famous preliminary final victory over rivals Parramatta which is considered to be one of the greatest comebacks of all time. After being 18–2 down with less than 10 minutes remaining, Canterbury scored 3 tries to take the game into extra-time before winning the match 32–20.{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2015/09/24/top-10-preliminary-final-heartbreaks/|title=Top 10 preliminary final heartbreaks|website=www.nrl.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bulldogs.com.au/news/2014/08/12/memorable-match-1998-preliminary-final/|title=Memorable Match: 1998 Preliminary Final|website=www.bulldogs.com.au}}
The following week, Lester played on the wing in the 1998 NRL grand final for Canterbury in the 38–12 loss to the Brisbane Broncos at the Sydney Football Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://thebulldogs.com.au/sportal.php?page=player&id=622|title=BULLDOGS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB – OFFICIAL WEBSITE|website=thebulldogs.com.au|access-date=17 January 2019|archive-date=18 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418041804/http://www.thebulldogs.com.au/sportal.php?page=player&id=622|url-status=dead}}
Lester joined with Sydney Roosters for the 2004 NRL season. Playing 10 matches and scoring 3 tries.{{cite web|url=https://www.roosters.com.au/about/past-players/|title=Men's Honour Roll|website=Sydney Roosters|access-date=23 October 2019|archive-date=27 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090103/https://www.roosters.com.au/about/past-players/|url-status=dead}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lester, Gavin}}
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Indigenous Australian rugby league players
Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players
Category:Sydney Roosters players
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney
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