Almanac Obituary – Last of the Place Kickers

The Coutts family has a strong footballing heritage, and Gerard Coutts, is piecing together his family’s involvement in the game. Below, is an obituary of Perc Coutts who is remembered for his ‘place kicking’. Apart from Perc there was also Uncle Bill and Uncle Scotty Theodore. Bill was a captain of Horsham in 1924 and was also the grandfather of former Essendon player Shane Heard. Scotty was renowned as the best of the three, but, was killed in Belgium. Perc died in August 1951 – and his obituary appeared in a Ballarat newspaper, perhaps in the Ballarat Courier.

 

Last of the Place Kickers

 

After a long illness, Perc Coutts, one of the star footballers of the last generation this week passed to his reward.

 

From 1913 to 1921 he was a most conspicuous player with the South Ballarat club and aften [sic] starred with combined Ballarat teams. Indeed, it was 34 years to the day last Saturday when Ballarat combined played the redoubtable Collingwood led by McHale on the Eastern Oval. Dick Lee, the Magpie forward, scored 7 goals with his well remembered place kicks but his performances was rivalled by Perce Coutts at centre half forward where 4 of his long and accurate place kicks found the big opening. With Harry Kaighin, he was the last of the local place kickers. Since the era of Kaghin and Coutts this method of goal scoring has become a lost art.

 

For upwards of 10 years he held a leading place in the ranks of the Southerners which included such well known names as Gribble, Lyons, Larkins and Cunningham.

 

A new wgeneration [sic] occupies the football spotlight today but it is well that we remember and pay due homage to those who carried the flag in their day and handed on to us the heritage of Ballarat football. We pay our last tribute to Perce Coutts, football and sportsman

 

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