Noel Teasdale

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Noel Teasdale

| image =

| fullname = Noel Teasdale

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|1|2|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Daylesford

| height = 188 cm

| weight = 98 kg

| position = Ruck

| statsend = 1970

| years1 = 1956–1967

| club1 = North Melbourne (VFL)

| games_goals1 = 178 (71)

| years2 = 1968–1970

| club2 = Woodville (SANFL)

| games_goals2 = 47 (23)|

games_goalstotal = 225 (94)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Noel Teasdale (born 2 January 1938) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Originally from Daylesford, Teasdale made his debut with the North Melbourne Football Club in 1956 playing as a ruckman and, for a period, a full-back.

Teasdale was noted for his tough, uncompromising play; and, in 1964, this almost cost him his life as his head clashed with that of North teammate Ken Dean, leaving him in critical condition with a fractured skull in St. Vincent's Hospital.{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Ron |title=Teasdale May Play Again In A Month |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tvgoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oZYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4176%2C4636660 |access-date=15 September 2020 |work=news.google.com |issue=The Age |date=27 April 1964 |page=20}} Midway through that same year, just five weeks after the near-fatal injury,{{Cite web |title=AFL Tables - Noel Teasdale - Stats - Statistics |url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/N/Noel_Teasdale.html |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=afltables.com}} Teasdale came back to play for North, wearing a protective head guard due to medical advice.{{cite news |last1=Hobbs |first1=Greg |title=Teasdale May Play On Saturday |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LzlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7172%2C4563117 |access-date=15 September 2020 |work=The Age |date=26 May 1964|page=20}} He also was the acting captain in the absence of injured skipper Allen Aylett.{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=John |title=Skilful Dons Win In Last-quarter Burst |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N35VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qpYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4227%2C4716748 |access-date=15 September 2020 |work=The Age |date=27 July 1964|page=22}}

The 1965 season saw Teasdale produce his best season yet – tying for the Brownlow Medal with Ian Stewart. Although he originally lost on countback, he was later awarded a retrospective medal in 1989.{{cite news | title=Medals awarded retrospectively | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122252189 | publisher=The Canberra Times | date=6 April 1989 | access-date=20 August 2020 }}

His VFL career ended in 1967, and he later moved to Woodville Football Club, where he was captain-coach from 1968 to 1970 and then non-playing coach in 1971. Later on, he coached West Torrens Football Club in 1975–76.