sentences:  Initially a centreman, Deacon began his senior career at Preston in the Victorian Football Association.signed Deacon in March 1941, one day before his residential address in Preston, which had previously been unallotted, became part of 's zone.He joined the army during World War II, and from 1942 until 1945 played most of his football for services teams, including acting as captain-coach of an Army stores team that won all ten games in a 1945 services competition in Darwin.