John Deas (5 November 1875 – 23 August 1949) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the South Melbourne Football Club, Fitzroy Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Jack Deas
Personal information
Full name John Deas
Nickname(s) Jack
Date of birth 5 November 1875
Place of birth Port Melbourne, Victoria
Date of death 23 August 1949(1949-08-23) (aged 73)
Place of death Caulfield, Victoria
Original team(s) Leopold (MJFA)
Position(s) Defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1897 South Melbourne 02 (0)
1899–1901 Fitzroy 33 (0)
1902 Essendon 03 (0)
Total 38 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1902.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

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The son of John Deas (1843–1891),[1][2] and Elizabeth Deas (1851-1925), née Scott,[3] John Deas was born at Port Melbourne, Victoria on 5 November 1875. His brother, George Deas (1888–1958), played VFL football with South Melbourne and VFA football with Port Melbourne; another brother, Robert "Bob" Deas (1886-1960), also played VFL football with South Melbourne.

He married Irene Styche Colby (1882–1941) on 2 November 1912.[4][5][6] They had two children: a daughter, Nancy (b.1915), and a son, Geoffrey (b.1918), who died in his infancy.[7]

Cricket

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He played cricket with the South Melbourne Cricket Club.[8]

Football

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Fitzroy Football Team (1899 Premiers)
Jack Deas is seated at far right, second row.

South Melbourne (VFA)

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Deas, who was a defender, was recruited from the Leopold Football Club in the Victorian Junior Football Association (MJFA), with whom he played in 1895 and 1896. He played one game with the South Melbourne Football Club in the VFA in 1896.[9]

South Melbourne (VFL)

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He played in two games with South Melbourne in the first-ever year of the VFL competition (1897).

Fitzroy (VFL)

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He was cleared from South Melbourne to Fitzroy in May 1899.[10] He played in 15 consecutive matches, following his debut in round 3, and was a half-back flanker in Fitzroy's 1899 premiership side.[11]

Essendon (VFL)

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After a further two seasons at Fitzroy he crossed to Essendon where he played one final season.

Employment

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He was employed by the Public Works Department for 48 years, the last 25 as engineer-in-charge at the Melbourne Law Courts.[12]

Death

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He died at his residence in Caulfield, Victoria on 23 August 1949.[13][14]

Notes

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References

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  • Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Pennings, Mark (2016), Origins of Australian Football: Victoria's early History: Volume 4: Tough Times: Victorian Football loses its Way, 1891 to 1896, Brunswick, Victoria: Grumpy Monks Publishing. ISBN 978-0-646-93604-8
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