{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (1936–2023)}} {{for|persons of a similar name|Donald Nichols (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Don Nicholls | image = | fullname = Donald Charles Nicholls | birth_date = {{birth date|1936|11|23|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|09|10|1936|11|23|df=y}} | death_place = | originalteam = Primrose, Maryborough | height = 178 cm | weight = 80 kg | position = | statsend = 1961 | years1 = 1956–61 | club1 = {{AFL Car}} | games_goals1 = 77 (32) | careerhighlights = }}
'''Donald Charles Nicholls''' (23 November 1936 – 10 September 2023) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).<ref name=encyc>{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 |last=Holmesby|first=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim |year=2009 |edition=8th |isbn=978-1-921496-00-4 |publisher=BAS Publishing |location=Seaford, Victoria |page=618}}</ref>
Nicholls won the 1952 Maryborough District Football League best and fairest award with Primrose Football Club, before playing with Maryborough Football Club in the Ballarat Football League and winning the Ballarat FL best and fairest award in 1953.<ref>{{cite web |title=1954 - Magpies have become powerful new football combination |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23415017 |publisher=The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) |access-date=30 April 2024 |page=20 |date=6 July 1954}}</ref>
The Carlton Football Club recruited Nicholls from the Maryborough Football Club in 1956. The Blues would later sign his younger brother John.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-11 |title=My brother and my friend forever: Big Nick's tribute to the late Don Nicholls |url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1429720/my-brother-and-my-friend-forever-big-nicks-tribute-to-the-late-don-nicholls |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=carltonfc.com.au |language=en}}</ref> Their father ensured that both brothers would play together with one club.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/the-biggest-tank-in-history/2007/08/29/1188067187693.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1|title=Big Nick and Ragsy|date=30 August 2007|publisher=The Age}}</ref> Don played 77 senior games as a centreman for Carlton from 1956, when he was Carlton's best first-year player, to 1961.<ref>[http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Don+Nicholls&highlight=don%20nicholls Don Nicholls Profile]</ref>
In 1962 he left Carlton to play for Box Hill.
Don Nicholls died in September 2023, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite news |title="My brother and my friend forever": Big Nick's tribute to the late Don Nicholls |url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1429720/my-brother-and-my-friend-forever-big-nicks-tribute-to-the-late-don-nicholls |access-date=20 September 2023 |publisher=Carlton F.C. |date=11 September 2023}}</ref>
== Notes == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{AFL Tables|ref=D/Don_Nicholls.html}} *[http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Don+Nicholls Don Nicholls's profile] at Blueseum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholls, Don}} Category:1936 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Carlton Football Club players Category:Box Hill Football Club players Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Category:Maryborough Football Club players Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen
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