George Smeaton (footballer)
George Smeaton (27 May 1917 – 9 June 1978)[1][2] was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1935 and 1942 and then again from 1944 to 1946.
| George Smeaton | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Nickname(s) | Brown Bomber | ||
| Date of birth | 27 May 1917 | ||
| Place of birth | Carlton, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 9 June 1978 (aged 61) | ||
| Original team(s) | Brighton Street School | ||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 85.5 kg (188 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1935–1946 | Richmond | 149 (36) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| Victoria | 1 | ||
| Coaching career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 1948–1954 | Oakleigh (VFA) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1946. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Smeaton was nicknamed the "Brown Bomber", a nickname borrowed from Joe Louis, and was described by Jack Dyer as the toughest player he played with.[3]
He later had a successful coaching career in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) where he led Oakleigh to three Grand Finals, winning premierships in 1950 and 1952 and losing the 1949 Grand Final due to a late goal by Williamstown.
He was also an established cricketer, captaining the Victorian school boys cricket team.
References
- "Football Loses Four Identities". Football Record (Round 12): 13. 24 June 1978.
- "George Smeaton - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- Flanagan, Martin (30 October 2010). "Richo has never changed... thankfully". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- Hogan P: The Tigers of Old, Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
- Fiddian, Marc: Devils at Play. A History of the Oakleigh Football Club, Pakenham Gazette, Pakenham 1982
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