Louis David Sleeth (26 February 1916 – 29 November 1990) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]
Lou Sleeth | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Louis David Sleeth | ||
Date of birth | 26 February 1916 | ||
Place of birth | Lilydale, Victoria | ||
Date of death | 29 November 1990 | (aged 74)||
Original team(s) | Box Hill | ||
Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||
Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) | ||
Position(s) | half-forward flank | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1937–38 | Richmond | 20 (22) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1938. | |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Family
editThe son of Charles Alfred Sleeth (1883–1923),[2] and Johanna "Annie" Sleeth (1887-1966), née Ring, Louis David Sleeth was born at Lilydale, Victoria on 26 February 1916.
He married Dalila Mary "Dolly" Garton (1920-2004) in 1947.
Football
editBox Hill (ESFL)
editHe played in 160 games over 20 seasons — 1929-1934, 1936, 1939, 1941-1948[3] — for the Box Hill Football Club in the Eastern Suburbs Football League.
East Burwood (FL)
editHe played for the East Burwood Football Club in the Federal Football League in 1935.[3]
Richmond (VFL)
editA left-footed half-forward flanker, Sleeth was cleared from Box Hill to Richmond on 21 April 1937.[4] He played for two seasons (1937 and 1938), and played in 20 First XVIII matches, scoring 22 goals, and in 14 Second XVIII matches, scoring 23 goals.[3]
7 August 1937
editOn 7 August 1937, as a member of the greatly weakened Richmond side that played against Essendon, at the Punt Road Ground — Percy Bentley, Jack Dyer, and Dick Harris were absent interstate with the VFL, and George Smeaton and Billy Wells were both injured — Sleeth, best on the ground, kicked six of Richmond's 13 goals (including the winning goal), in an unexpected two point victory.[5][6][7][8][9]
1937 Best First-Year Players
editIn September 1937, The Argus selected Sleeth in its team of 1937's first-year players.[10]
Best First-Year Players (1937) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Backs | Bernie Treweek (Fitzroy) |
Reg Henderson (Richmond) |
Lawrence Morgan (Fitzroy) |
H/Backs | Gordon Waters (Hawthorn) |
Bill Cahill (Essendon) |
Eddie Morcom (North Melbourne) |
Centre Line | Ted Buckley (Melbourne) |
George Bates (Richmond) |
Jack Kelly (St Kilda) |
H/Forwards | Col Williamson (St Kilda) |
Ray Watts (Essendon) |
Don Dilks (Footscray) |
Forwards | Lou Sleeth (Richmond) |
Sel Murray (North Melbourne) |
Charlie Pierce (Hawthorn) |
Rucks/Rover | Reg Garvin (St Kilda) |
Sandy Patterson (South Melbourne) |
Des Fothergill (Collingwood) |
Second Ruck | Lawrence Morgan | Col Williamson | Lou Sleeth |
Preston (VFA)
editCleared from Box Hill to Preston on 17 April 1940.[11][12][13] He played in 14 games and scored 30 goals in the 1940 season.[3]
Notes
edit- ^ Holmesby & Main (2014), p.823.
- ^ Deaths: Sleeth, The Argus, (Monday, 24 September 1923), p.1.
- ^ a b c d Hogan (1996), p.211.
- ^ Many Permits, The Argus, (Thursday, 22 April 1937), p.15.
- ^ League Teams Announced: Richmond v. Essendon, The Argus, (Friday, 6 August 1937), p.16.
- ^ League Ranks Depleted by Interstate Tours: Dons Tackle Weakened Richmond At Punt Road, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 6 August 1937), p.21.
- ^ Millard, P.J., "Richmond’s Resolute Finish Defeats Dons", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 7 August 1937), p.4.
- ^ Rigg, K., "Finish Thrills: Rally by Richmond", The Argus, (Monday, 9 August 1937), p.14.
- ^ Richmond Scared: Essendon's Good Showing, The Age, (Monday, 9 August 1937), p.16.
- ^ Football Season's Many Good Recruits, The Argus, (Tuesday, 7 September 1937), p.14.
- ^ Football, The Argus, (Thursday, 18 April 1940), p.15.
- ^ Eastern Suburban: Players Disqualified, The Age, (Friday, 26 April 1940), p.6.
- ^ Association: Preston v. Sandringham, The Argus, (Friday, 3 May 1940), p.19.
References
edit- Hogan P: The Tigers of Old: A complete History of Every Player to Represent the Richmond Football Club between 1908 and 1996, Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
- Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
External links
edit- Lou Sleeth's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Lou Sleeth at AustralianFootball.com
- Lou Sleeth, at The VFA Project.