Charles David Ahern (25 June 1905 – 7 April 1931) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| Charlie Ahern | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Ahern in 1929 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Charles David Ahern | ||
| Date of birth | 25 June 1905 | ||
| Place of birth | Northcote, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 7 April 1931 (aged 25) | ||
| Place of death | Heidelberg, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | Northcote | ||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Rover | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1929 | Collingwood | 3 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1929. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
After playing junior football for Williamstown C.Y.M.S.,[1] Ahern's senior career began in the Victorian Football Association with Northcote, where he played, mostly as a half-back, between 1925 and 1928.[2] After trialling unsuccessfully with Fitzroy in 1927 preseason training,[3] Ahern joined Collingwood in 1928.
Ahern played most of his two seasons with Collingwood in the seconds, and by the end of 1929 had played only two senior games, in rounds 9 and 12 that season. He was thus a surprise inclusion in Collingwood's side for the 1929 grand final against Richmond, brought in to provide weight and strength in the ruck which Collingwood had lacked in its semi-final loss against the same team.[4] Collingwood won and Ahern became the least experienced premiership player in the history of the club.
The grand final was Ahern's last senior match, as he fell seriously ill in the months following the match. He died 18 months later on 7 April 1931.[5]
References
edit
- ^ "C.Y.M.S. football". Williamstown Advertiser. Williamstown, VIC. 14 August 1926. p. 3.
- ^ "Ahern, Charlie". The VFA Project. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Onlooker (1 April 1927). "Football - Preparing for season". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. p. 6.
- ^ Half Forward (5 October 1929). "Collingwood win premiership". Weekly Times. p. 78.
- ^ "Charlie Ahern". Collingwood Forever. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- Charlie Ahern's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
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