Almanac Teams – a team of VFL Arthurs
VFL Arthurs
During my first few decades the name Arthur often seemed in vogue. When I was very young I recall my father being frustrated, saying he didn’t know if he was Arthur or Martha. In the Western suburbs the name Arthur appeared so popular at one stage it almost seemed everyone was Arthur. But how did the name hold up on the footy field?
So here’s a team of Arthur’s who played VFL over the years. During my research, it seems most of these players here predate WW2.
Is Arthur Karanicolas, who played 69 games with North Melbourne between 1964-1968, the last player to legitimately be called Arthur; or am I missing something?
Did the idiom of everyone being Arthur have no resonance?
Can anybody name an Arthur from AFL ranks? Please share if you can
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B: Sanger, (Carl) Slater, (Ess/NM) Gooch, (Coll)
HB: Danks, (Rich) Barr-Kemp, (Rich) Adamson, (SM)
C: Sowden, (Melb) Barlow, (SM/Foot) Fox, Jnr (SM)
HF: Leach, (Ess/Coll) Hiskins, (SM) Karanicolas, (NM
F: Stevens, (Foot) Oliver, (Foot) (Captain, Coach) Davidson, (Haw)
Foll: Coghlan, (Geel) Batchelor, (Fitz/NM) Pink, (Geel)
Inter: Edwards, (Fitz) Edwards, (Foots), Ford, (Carl) Irvine, (Geel)
Emerg: Fox, Snr, (Rich) Hall, (Carl/Fitz) O’Bryan, (Fitz)
What name side could be next? I’m tempted to pick a team of Harold’s though beyond the one appearance Harold Martin made for Fitzroy in 1968,not many Harolds come to mind.
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Glen!
About Glen d
Does Graham Arthur qualify? Arthur Daly in charge of tax compliance …
The most recent Arthur I can find at Norwood is ‘Honey’ Heusler who played one season in 1935 (and even he went by his middle name, Reg). He went on to considerably more success as a centre half forward in the WANFL with Claremont and Perth.
Sturt premiership player Arthur Lance could also be in charge of the heavy roller at Arthur Park, given his 25+ years as Adelaide Oval curator.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48286426
James Arthur could sing the club song. Arthur Miller or Arthur C. Clarke could write the Club history.
Arthur mo, Surely we can find a spot for Uncle Arthur.
For those with short memories
Glen Robbins played Uncle Arthur in the 1988 comedy company (I think)
Arthur Fonzarelli on the wing?
Good, old fashioned name Glen !
My mum wanted to call me Arthur after her great uncle, but dad and his family vetoed the idea.
Paul Hogan’s ‘Arthur Dunger’ used to crack me up when I was a kid and on Seinfeld, George Costanza’s alter ego Arthur ‘Art’ Vandelay caused much mirth.
Arthur Wilson played 51 games for University between 1909-11
Arthur Newbound 21 games for Fitzroy also 1909-11
100 years ago the Arthurs were the ‘Jareds’ of the VFL ! Let’s hope the Arthurs make a comeback !
Need more Harolds?
Harold Taylor (Geel) 2008 – ?
Just doubled your Harolds.
Arthurton is a small farming community in Northern Yorke Peninsula (S.A.). They had a footy club made up of local farmers – more of a crossroads with a pub, general store and oval than a town – when we lived in Kadina in the early 1970’s (Dad was a country bank manager). Since then the Northern (Yorke Valley) and the Southern Yorke Peninsula Leagues have merged (as is the way of such things throughout rural Australia).
Arthurton won the 1982 and 1988 Yorke Valley A Grade flags despite their small population compared to other towns.
Can’t find too many records on-line but Malcolm Adams was a champion Arthurton player in the 70’s when I was there. This clipping shows him as the winner of the 1970 and 1971 (Sunday) Mail Medal for best player in the Yorke Valley League. The Mail Medal is a shared tradition in all SA country competitions. It also shows Robert Langford from Arthurton won the 1982 Mail Medal in their Premiership year.
http://countryfooty.com.au/ArthurtonFootballClubScoresHistory.htm
The list of games played for Arthurton up to when the club folded in 1996 is a step back in time to when weatherbeaten farmers played into their 50’s. JW Schilling played 511 games (30 seasons?) – 247 in the League team and 264 in the Magoos. http://www.cyfc.com.au/PublicAccess/AFC%20Games%20Played.pdf
In 1997 Arthurton merged with much larger Maitland to form the Central Yorke Cougars. Dad used to get us to stop and bow outside the Maitland pub where Joe Kinlough was the mine host (and coach of West Torrens Eagles last SANFL premiership in 1953 – Bob Hank and Lindsay Head both triple Magarey Medallists).
https://australianfootball.com/articles/view/Torrens%27+last+hurrah+-+the+1953+SANFL+grand+final/18
Phil i recall Paul Hogan’s Arthur Dunger. Paul Hogan very much part of an Australian childhood in the mid , late 70’s. I very much doubt many, if any, of his characters could see the light of day in 2019. A product of those times.
PB, Arthurton seems like a quaint little neck of the woods. We drove through the quaint little Arthurs Creek this morning, on our way back from St Andrews Market. Arthurs Creek was one of the areas badly impacted on Black Saturday.
Ta Adam. I surmise Harold Taylor is also AKA Harry Taylor?
Luke are you out there? I’m interested if you can do a cricketing team of Arthurs. Three come to mind readily.
Glen!
Arthur Chilcott played 13 games for the Swans in mid-80s.
Good call Mark. How did i forget Arthur Chilcott, another good player from the Riverina.
Glen!
How about Liberal Senator Arthur Sidinious (probably not spelled correctly). He’d be handy to have around on speech nights.
Musical entertainment for the team : Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) by The Kinks (19690
The final word should read (1969)
Glen, the Arthur XI was a difficult task, it’s full of obscure Englishmen, but managed to put together a Test playing Arthur team. AR Morris will need to make plenty of runs for this team to be competitive.
Arthur Morris (Australia) (c)
Arthur Richardson (Australia)
Arthur Hill (England)
Arthur Jones (England)
Arthur Briscoe (South Africa)
Arthur Chipperfield (Australia)
Arthur Dolphin (England) (WK)
Arthur Mailey (Australia)
Arthur Gilligan (England)
Arthur Fielder (England)
Arthur Mold (England)
Sadly Arthur Briscoe was killed in action in WW2. Arthur Gilligan captained England in 9 of his 11 Tests, rare for a fast bowler, and was one of the games earliest radio commentators.
Ta Luke. i enjoy your test teams.
Just to add something to a test team of Arthur’s. Arthur Gilligan, as well as being highly situated in the British cricketing hierarchy was an active member of the British League of Fascists between the wars. I mention him in my posting of 23/8 last year re his purported involvement with the cancellation of the MCC tour of South Africa in 1968-69. This was when he was a selector.
Arthur Fagg can carry the drinks. He played five tests for England, then many years later was a test umpire. He was probably most famous in that role for an episode in the second test of the 1973 series against the West Indies when due to on field conflict with West Indian players he refused to umpire,meaning a substitute umpire filled in for him briefly. However his primary claim to fame is that he was the first (only?) person to score a double century in both innings of a first class match. That was for Kent Vs Essex back in 1938.
Glen!
Good morning Mark. I’ve ascertained another of my mistakes.
I seriously thought Arthur Chillcott was from Wagga. It seems he wasn’t.
My home work needs revising.
Glen!