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The Footballers' Alphabet

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32:
The poem, which had been written by its influential (Australian Rules) football correspondent, "Follower", delivered a brief comment on a number of the most prominent Australian Rules footballers playing in Melbourne in 1898 -- the second year of the VFL competition -- presented in the alphabetical
568:
This line, which contrasts their (comparatively) transient fame with the enduring fame of the renowned footballer "Tracker" Forbes, speaks of two of Australia's most eminent politicians of the day:
585: 675:
Henry Upton (1855-1936) had played for a number of seasons with Geelong in the VFA in the 1870s, including two of Geelong's VFA Premiership teams (see:
718: 723: 577: 36:
Given the poem’s subject and its novelty, it was very popular, and it was republished in a number of different newspapers, including
474:
Given the need for family names beginning with specific letters, several current and past prominent VFA players were also included.
659:
who, at the time of publication, was still playing VFA First Grade Football with North Melbourne at the advanced age of 35 (see:
597: 219: 182: 80: 57:, was published in 1920, and another, centred on the players in the Adelaide (SAFL) competition, was published in 1925. 193: 708: 429:        You'll find in white waistcoat proposing "The Winners". 551:
Alfred John Elder (1868-1935), who played 38 Games (57 goals) for Richmond in the VFA 1897-1899. (see
703: 249: 72: 580:, member of the NSW Legislative Council, active campaigner for Federation and, in 1901, Australia's 407: 118: 341:        It's a fact I believe, though I think we must own, 363:        (They made no mistake when they got hold of him). 631: 660: 21: 713: 552: 414:        A greater high marker there never was seen; 241:        As fresh at the end as he was at the start; 8: 698: 573: 345:        Fitzroy, for hard graft, has a daisy in 581: 593: 601: 54: 334: 319: 301: 282: 163: 676: 639: 536: 521: 502: 483: 459: 692: 614: 569: 378: 151: 133: 99: 630:
James Quilligan (1875-1944) who played with North Melbourne in the VFA (see
656: 389: 271: 260: 129: 589: 422: 357: 293: 234: 201: 155: 110: 621:) and went on to play for Mount Magnet in the West Australian Goldfields 53:
of the poem, centred on the players of the Sunbury Football Club in the
346: 223: 174: 91: 441: 49: 613:
Possibly James Ingram, who played for Carlton in the VFA (see
79:        Likewise for 200:        Also for 19:
On Saturday 23 July 1898, the Melbourne weekly newspaper
181:        And for 162:        Before 600:
in the Federal Parliament, and, in 1904, Australia's
333:        That 596:, Premier of New South Wales (1894-1899), the first 300:        And 117:        And 98:        And 522:'A Young ‘Un', "The "Sunbury" Football Alphabet", 690: 211:stands for Ingram -- from Brunswick he came -- 311:stands for Quilligan (plays with "Old Dick"); 503:The Footballers' Alphabet, by "Follower" of 484:The Footballers' Alphabet, by "Follower" of 329:---stand aside, please, and let me proclaim, 143:stands for Elder (kicks straight as a dart); 657:Richard Shinnock "Dick" Houston (1863-1921) 460:'Follower', "The Footballers' Alphabet", 399:the x-ception, that can't claim a player; 586:Justices of the High Court of Australia 356:stands for South's clever back player, 691: 370:stands for Upton, a crack of the past; 304:, renowned for his coolness and pluck; 584:and, in 1903, one of the first three 524:The Southern Yorke Peninsular Pioneer 719:History of Australian rules football 598:Leader of the Opposition (1901-1904) 102:, who plays on the wing for Geelong; 681:, (Saturday 26 September 1936, p.24 644:, (Wednesday, 10 January 1945), p.2 578:Attorney General of New South Wales 526:, (Saturday, 4 December 1920), p.4. 121:, who's earnest and always a trier; 13: 541:, (Saturday, 28 March 1925), p.14. 511:. (Saturday, 20 August 1898), p.3. 337:the best captain playing the game; 14: 735: 492:, (Saturday, 23 July 1898), p.11. 464:, (Saturday, 23 July 1898), p.17. 724:Australian rules football people 669: 649: 624: 539:The (Adelaide) Saturday Journal 509:The Ovens and Murray Advertiser 42:The Ovens and Murray Advertiser 607: 562: 545: 530: 515: 496: 477: 468: 453: 425:, who at all football dinners, 1: 33:order of their family names. 185:too, who can mark very high; 7: 435: 410:-- the Geelong one, I mean, 237:, both brilliant and smart, 226:, who are dabs at the game; 60: 10: 740: 296:, unsurpassed in the ruck, 94:, who's clever and strong, 285:, who's a broth of a boy; 27:The Footballers' Alphabet 447: 274:, who roves for Fitzroy; 166:will fade out of renown; 113:, the Collingwood flyer, 537:The Football Alphabet, 381:, who's dodgy and fast; 263:, the boss of the game; 204:, who puts on no frill; 392:, a marvellous stayer; 196:, a better mark still, 655:"Old Dick" refers to 602:fourth Prime Minister 252:, a "centre" of fame; 177:, who never says die, 582:first Prime Minister 570:Edmund "Toby" Barton 75:, hard to beat back, 640:Deaths: Quilligan, 574:Protectionist Party 322:, clever and quick; 709:Australian poetry 661:Dick Houston, at 731: 704:Australian poems 684: 673: 667: 653: 647: 628: 622: 611: 605: 594:Free Trade Party 592:, Leader of the 572:, leader of the 566: 560: 549: 543: 534: 528: 519: 513: 500: 494: 481: 475: 472: 466: 457: 164:"Tracker" Forbes 739: 738: 734: 733: 732: 730: 729: 728: 689: 688: 687: 674: 670: 663:The VFA Project 654: 650: 636:The VFA Project 629: 625: 612: 608: 567: 563: 557:the VFA Project 550: 546: 535: 531: 520: 516: 501: 497: 482: 478: 473: 469: 458: 454: 450: 438: 426: 415: 411: 400: 393: 382: 371: 364: 360: 350: 342: 338: 330: 323: 312: 305: 297: 286: 275: 264: 253: 242: 238: 227: 212: 205: 197: 186: 178: 167: 159: 144: 137: 122: 114: 103: 95: 84: 83:, also a crack; 76: 63: 55:Yorke Peninsula 17: 12: 11: 5: 737: 727: 726: 721: 716: 711: 706: 701: 686: 685: 668: 648: 623: 606: 561: 544: 529: 514: 495: 476: 467: 451: 449: 446: 445: 444: 437: 434: 433: 432: 431: 430: 427: 416: 412: 401: 394: 383: 372: 365: 361: 351: 343: 339: 331: 324: 313: 306: 298: 287: 276: 265: 254: 243: 239: 228: 213: 206: 198: 187: 179: 168: 160: 145: 138: 136:-- both smart; 123: 115: 104: 96: 85: 77: 62: 59: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 736: 725: 722: 720: 717: 715: 712: 710: 707: 705: 702: 700: 697: 696: 694: 682: 680: 672: 665: 664: 658: 652: 645: 643: 637: 633: 632:Jim Quilligan 627: 620: 616: 610: 603: 599: 595: 591: 587: 583: 579: 575: 571: 565: 558: 554: 548: 542: 540: 533: 527: 525: 518: 512: 510: 506: 499: 493: 491: 487: 480: 471: 465: 463: 456: 452: 443: 440: 439: 428: 424: 420: 417: 413: 409: 405: 402: 398: 395: 391: 387: 384: 380: 376: 373: 369: 366: 362: 359: 355: 352: 348: 344: 340: 336: 332: 328: 325: 321: 317: 314: 310: 307: 303: 299: 295: 291: 288: 284: 280: 277: 273: 269: 266: 262: 258: 255: 251: 247: 244: 240: 236: 232: 229: 225: 221: 217: 214: 210: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 188: 184: 180: 176: 172: 169: 165: 161: 158:will go down, 157: 153: 152:"Toby" Barton 149: 146: 142: 139: 135: 134:Dowdell (sic) 131: 127: 124: 120: 116: 112: 108: 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 86: 82: 78: 74: 70: 67: 66: 65: 64: 58: 56: 52: 51: 45: 43: 39: 34: 30: 28: 24: 23: 714:Sports poems 678: 671: 662: 651: 642:The Advocate 641: 635: 626: 618: 609: 564: 556: 547: 538: 532: 523: 517: 508: 504: 498: 489: 485: 479: 470: 461: 455: 418: 403: 396: 385: 374: 367: 353: 326: 315: 308: 289: 278: 267: 256: 245: 230: 215: 208: 189: 170: 147: 140: 125: 106: 87: 68: 48: 46: 41: 37: 35: 31: 26: 20: 18: 590:George Reid 406:stands for 358:Trimm (sic) 283:O'Dea (sic) 270:stands for 248:stands for 235:Gus Kearney 192:stands for 175:Gavan (sic) 90:stands for 71:stands for 699:1898 poems 693:Categories 677:Obituary, 576:, former 505:The Leader 486:The Leader 462:The Leader 128:for young 25:published 22:The Leader 553:Alf Elder 335:Stuckey's 302:Proudfoot 100:Brockwell 16:1898 poem 619:Blueseum 442:Acrostic 436:See also 421:for old 320:Robinson 183:Gilligan 73:Anderson 61:The Poem 50:pastiche 679:The Age 490:The Age 390:Wardill 377:is for 318:is for 292:is for 261:M'Ginis 220:Jackson 173:is for 109:is for 81:Adamson 38:The Age 638:; and 615:Ingram 588:; and 379:Vautin 294:Pleass 272:Noonan 202:Howson 119:Conway 111:Condon 40:, and 448:Notes 408:Young 347:Sloan 250:Lewis 224:James 194:Hogan 130:Dando 92:Barry 388:for 281:for 259:for 233:for 222:and 218:for 156:Reid 154:and 150:--- 132:and 634:at 617:at 555:at 423:Zox 44:. 695:: 683:). 666:). 646:). 559:). 507:, 488:, 47:A 29:. 604:. 419:Z 404:Y 397:X 386:W 375:V 368:U 354:T 349:; 327:S 316:R 309:Q 290:P 279:O 268:N 257:M 246:L 231:K 216:J 209:I 190:H 171:G 148:F 141:E 126:D 107:C 88:B 69:A

Index

The Leader
pastiche
Yorke Peninsula
Anderson
Adamson
Barry
Brockwell
Condon
Conway
Dando
Dowdell (sic)
"Toby" Barton
Reid
"Tracker" Forbes
Gavan (sic)
Gilligan
Hogan
Howson
Jackson
James
Gus Kearney
Lewis
M'Ginis
Noonan
O'Dea (sic)
Pleass
Proudfoot
Robinson
Stuckey's
Sloan

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