George Buxton Bower (18 June 1884 – 5 February 1964)[2] was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| George Bower | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | George Buxton Bower | ||
| Date of birth | 18 June 1884 | ||
| Place of birth | South Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 5 February 1964 (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | Brighton, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | Leopold[1] | ||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1909–1914 | South Melbourne | 75 (11) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1914. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family
editHis older brother, Harold Carlyle Bower (1878–1954) also played for South Melbourne.[3]
Football
editSouth Melbourne (VFL)
editBower made his debut in round one, 1909, against Geelong, at Corio Oval on 1 May 1909.[1]
He was a member of a premiership team in his very first season, playing as a centreman in the 1909 VFL Grand Final.[4] In 1912, South Melbourne made another grand final, but Bower didn't play as he had received a four-week suspension in the semi-final, for striking Essendon's Fred Baring.[5]
He played his last senior match, against Geelong, on 2 May 1914,[2] in which he was one of the best on the ground.[6]
Training Units Team (AIF)
editWhile serving overseas he played for the (losing) Australian Training Units team in the famous "Pioneer Exhibition Game" of Australian Rules football, held in London, in October 1916. A news film was taken at the match.[8][9]
Military service
editBower's career ended when he enlisted in the First AIF; he served overseas with the 13th Light Horse Regiment[10]
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^ The Argus, "Club Gossip", 11 June 1909, p. 9
- ^ "australianfootball.com".
- ^ Holmesby & Main (2007).
- ^ Football Final, The Argus, (Saturday, 2 October 1909), p.17; Football Premiership, The Age, (Monday, 4 October 1909), p.8; Observer, "South Melbourne Wins", The Age, (Monday, 4 October 1909), p.6.
- ^ The Argus, "Bower Disqualified For Final", 19 September 1912, p. 7
- ^ South's Superior System, The Argus, (Monday, 4 May 1914), p.6.
- ^ Detail of Organised by Australian Olympic swimmer Lieutenant Frank Beaurepaire, etc., in the collection of the Australian War Memorial (Accession number: H16688).
- ^ The original newsreel: Australian Football (Pathé Newsreel, 1916) on YouTube
- ^ The 2019 remastered and colourised version of the original newsreel: Australian Football (Pathé Newsreel, 1916), remastered and colourised version (2019) on YouTube
- ^ Service Record.
References
edit- Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007), The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers, BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5
- Richardson, N. (2016) The Game of Their Lives, Pan Macmillan Australia: Sydney. ISBN 9781743536667
- Photographs: second from left, front row, in File:1909_South_Melbourne_Football_Club.jpg, centre of second row, at Group portrait of officers of the 60th Battalion (C01871), collection of the Australian War Memorial; and third from left, back row, in Group portrait of officers of the 60th Battalion (E01426), collection of the Australian War Memorial.
- Pioneer Exhibition Game Australian Football: in aid of British and French Red Cross Societies: 3rd Australian Division v. Australian Training Units at Queen's Club, West Kensington, on Saturday, October 28th, 1916, at 3pm, Wightman & Co., (London), 1919.
- Melbourne (8.5) Beat Geelong (6.3), The Age, (Monday, 3 May 1909), p.5.
- Club Gossip, The Argus, (Friday, 11 June 1909), p.9.
- South Melbourne Going Strong, The Argus, (Monday, 14 June 1909), p.5.
- Football, The Mercury, (Wednesday, 6 October 1909), p.8.
- Football, The (Adelaide) Register, (Monday, 11 October 1909), p.5.
- Observer, "South Melbourne Wins", The Argus, (Monday, 4 October 1909), p.6.
- St.Kilda's Form, The Argus, (Monday, 6 September 1909), p.5.
- Second Semi-Final, The Argus, (Monday, 20 September 1909), p.6.
- Fighting for a Final, The Argus, (Monday 27 September 1909), p.6.
- South Melbourne's Superiority, The Argus, (Monday, 27 April 1914), p.6.
- Presentations to Footballers, The Argus, (Wednesday, 13 October 1915), p.10.
- First World War Embarkation Roll: Private George Buxton Bower (1446), collection of the Australian War Memorial.
- First World War Nominal Roll: Lieutenant George Buxton Bower (1446), collection of the Australian War Memorial.
- First World War Service Record: Lieutenant George Buxton Bower (1446), National Archives of Australia.
External links
edit- George Bower's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- George Bower at AustralianFootball.com