 In 1972 David Dench at the age of 21 he became one of the youngest captains appointed in the "Kangaroo's" history.He also captained the 1977 premiership team, due to Keith Greig's absence because of an injury.In the 1977 VFL Grand Final, Ron Barassi moved him to the forward line, where he sparked North Melbourne Football Club's revival by contributing to the forward line and kicking goals, to draw with Collingwood Football Club.