Almanac Footy History: The maverick Chris Kiernan – The Grand Finalist who failed to turn up

 

Chris Kiernan (circa 1899)

 

 

I was researching the 1899 Grand Final between Fitzroy and South Melbourne this morning when these words jumped out at me.

 

‘C.Kiernan was selected to play (for Fitzroy) but failed to turn up’.

 

How could this be?  The biggest stage in the land, even in 1899, and you fail to turn up!

 

I was hoping for a lazy day but this got the better of me and I decided to seek out more information about Chris Kiernan, the man in question.

 

I contacted  JTH who at the moment was rewriting his research of the game that he wrote some years ago. “Great minds think alike” said the former resident of  the people’s Republic of Northcote.

 

By this time I was wondering why would you drop out of such an important game.

 

After all he had played for the Maroons in the inaugural VFL season, topping their goalkicking in their first two years, and again in 1900. He played in Fitzroy’s 1898 premiership team as well as two losing grand finals.

 

He was regarded by many as ‘the greatest player of his era’.

 

My research started with the death notices for Chris Kiernan in December 1925 in papers from all over Australia.

 

The tributes flowed from both friends and foes for this outstanding sportsman.

 

Outstanding? Why didn’t I know this.

 

In his era Kiernan was one of the most outstanding sportsmen in Australia and one of very few to represent their state  in three different sports cricket, Australian Rules, and baseball.

 

Kiernan seems to certainly have been a maverick and even his team mates reported him to league Officials for his habit of tripping players and in particular a game against South Australia.  He also had run-ins with his club Fitzroy and when he tried to gain a  transfer to Collingwood officials from other clubs blocked the transfer. This meant virtually a life long ban but it must have been lifted as he played again in 1911 for his beloved Fitzroy. The Sporting Globe said that his brief re-appearance was ‘still colourful’.

 

In the meantime he spent more time playing cricket  with the famous La Mascotte Cricket Club and then Fitzroy.  Such was his form that he made the Victoria side and played 10 first-class matches for them.  In all he scored a total of 366 runs at an average of  24.4 and took six wickets.

 

He certainly must have been a class player as photographs appeared of him and future Australian captain Warwick Armstrong inspecting the wicket, dressed in their best suits, before a semi final between Fitzroy and Melbourne. He captained Fitzroy in his day but collapsed in 1923 while playing in a semi -final against Collingwood,

 

He was diagnosed with a mental illness and spent nearly two years trying to recover and in respite while  continuing to work as a clerk at the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW).

 

His illness was so severe that the Fitzroy Football Club sent out a circular stating this and that the family were in hard times. The committee acknowledged “that it would be ungrateful if some token of esteem to mark his long service with all three sporting clubs in Fitzroy”.

 

A considerable amount of money was raised including a donation from Syd Sherrin of Collingwood who said “with regards to Chris Kiernan one could not help admiring his keenness on the football and cricket fields. I don’t know of any man who has done so much for his side”.

 

By mid-1924 his health had improved somewhat and he was slowly returning to work on a regular basis. However on the 2^nd December 1925 after returning from work he ate a hearty meal and dropped dead.

 

Kiernan was only 47 at the time of his death and left a wife and two children.

 

Chris Kiernan played 102 games for Fitzroy and kicked 102 goals.

 

I am wondering, without any evidence, did he not turn up for  the team in 1899 because he was suffering from his mental illness even then?

 

I have found no evidence at this stage but that is another story in the making.

 

La Mascotte Cricket Club was the precursor to the Collingwood Cricket Club.

 

 

Read John Harms’ account of the 1899 Grand Final between Fitzroy and South Melbourne Here.

 

 

More stories from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.

 

 

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