Alan Linden

Alan Linden
Personal information
Full name Alan Jeffrey Linden
Date of birth 27 April 1917
Date of death 5 October 1956(1956-10-05) (aged 39)[1]
Place of death Bendigo, Victoria
Original team(s) Sandringham
Height 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 96 kg (212 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1941–1947 South Melbourne 80 (56)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1947.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Alan Jeffrey Linden (27 April 1917 – 5 October 1956) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Career

Linden played as both a forward and follower during his career, which began at Sandringham in 1939.[2] Although he spent seven seasons at South Melbourne, Linden played 58 of his 80 games between 1944 and 1946.[3] He was omitted from the South Melbourne team for the 1945 semi final against Collingwood but returned to the side for the grand final, replacing former Footscray player Roy Porter.[4] A forward pocket in the 1945 VFL Grand Final, Linden contributed two goals but finished on the losing team.[5] After missing very few games in the previous three seasons, he had an injury-plagued year in 1947, which included a twisted ankle, sustained when he tripped over a gutter.[6]

Death

He died in Bendigo on 5 October 1956, from injuries he received in a car accident.[7]

References

  1. ^ Obituary in The Argus, 8 October 1956
  2. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
  3. ^ AFL Tables: Alan Linden
  4. ^ The Argus,"South's Two Changes", 28 September 1945, p. 15
  5. ^ "The Bloodbath Grand Final". Australian Football.
  6. ^ The Argus,"Fothergill may have played his last game", 18 June 1947, p. 27
  7. ^ "Crash kills footy star". The Argus. Melbourne. 6 October 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 20 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.