Jack Grant (footballer, born 1915)

For the former Carlton and St Kilda player, see Jack Grant (footballer, born 1883). For the West Indian cricketer, see Jackie Grant.
For the Australian rugby union player, see Jack Grant (rugby union).

Jack Grant
Personal information
Full name John William Grant
Date of birth 24 September 1915
Date of death 1 December 1983(1983-12-01) (aged 68)
Original team(s) Chilwell (GDFL)
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 82 kg (181 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1935–1941 Geelong 99 (71)
1942–1943 Fitzroy 26 (58)
1945–1946 Geelong 20 (28)
Total 145 (157)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1946.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

John William Grant (24 September 1915 – 1 December 1983) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Family

He married Dulcie May Ellis (?–1989), in Geelong, on Saturday, 29 April 1939.[1] He died on 1 December 1983, and was buried at Mount Duneed Cemetery, Mount Duneed, Victoria.

Stawell Gift

He had exceptional pace,[2] winning the 1938 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and eleven-sixteenths of a second, off a handicap of 11½ yards.[3][4][5]

Football

Grant usually played on the half forward or half back flank.

A member of Geelong's premiership team in 1937, Grant won their best and fairest award in 1939. He was their leading goalkicker in 1940, with 47 goals. In 1942 he moved to Fitzroy and spent two seasons with the club, topping their goalkicking in 1942 with 43 goals. He returned to Geelong in 1945 and captained them the following season.

War service

He served in the RAAF. LAC Grant enlisted in February 1942, and was discharged, "on compassionate grounds", in June 1945.[6][7]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Footballers Wed, The Argus, (Monday, 1 May 1939), p.8.
  2. ^ Winner's Career: A Brilliant Season, The Age, (Tuesday, 19 April 1938), p.10.
  3. ^ Grant Brilliant in Gift Win, The Argus, (Tuesday, 19 April 1938), p.17.
  4. ^ Footballer Wins Stawell Gift, The Age, (Tuesday, 19 April 1938), p.10
  5. ^ Photograph: How Grant won the !938 Gift, The Age, (Tuesday, 19 April 1938), p.13
  6. ^ For details, see Grant's application, dated 9 April 1945, supporting evidence, and report of RAAF police investigation of the matter, in his Service Record.
  7. ^ Jack Grant to Train, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 9 June 1945), p.3; Taylor, P., "Another Fine Set of VFL Games", The Argus, (Friday, 15 June 1945), p.12.

References