Alfred Goonan (3 April 1904 – 22 January 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| Alf Goonan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Alfred Goonan | ||
| Date of birth | 3 April 1904 | ||
| Place of birth | North Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 22 January 1942 (aged 37) | ||
| Place of death | near Johor, British Malaya | ||
| Original team(s) | North Melbourne Under-19s | ||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward pocket | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1925–1926 | North Melbourne | 7 (12) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1926. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family edit
The son of William Goonan (1868–1957), and Emma Goonan (1866–1925), née Williams,[1] Alfred Goonan was born in North Melbourne on 3 April 1904.
Football edit
North Melbourne (VFA) edit
Goonan joined the North Melbourne under 19s and, later, played the last two games of the 1924 season for the North Melbourne VFA team.[2][3][4]
North Melbourne (VFL) edit
He played in North's first ever VFL game, against Geelong at Corio Oval. Playing at forward pocket, he scored North's first score in a game of VFL: a behind. He kicked 1.1 for the match.[5]
Playing against Fitzroy at Arden Street, in North Melbourne's second VFL match, Goonan kicked 4 goals.[6]
Military service edit
He joined the Australian Imperial Force in 1940 at Mildura, and was deployed to British Malaya in August 1941. After the invasion of the colony by the Japanese Empire, Goonan's battalion fought fiercely, resulting in Goonan being wounded. The battalion fought the Japanese until forced to retreat at the Simpang-kiri River. The battalion left its wounded behind, including Goonan, in the hope that the Japanese would give them medical care. All 110 left behind were executed near Johor in the Parit Sulong Massacre, including Goonan.[7]
See also edit
Footnotes edit
- ^ Deaths: Goonan, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 18 July 1925), p.26.
- ^ The VFA Project: Alf Goonan.
- ^ Thrilling Finish at Northcote, The Age, (Monday, 25 August 1924), p.15; Northcote Hard Pressed, The Argus, (Monday, 25 August 1924), p.14.
- ^ The Association: Principal Match, The Argus, (Saturday, 30 August 1924), p.19; North's Great Performance, The Age, (Monday, 1 September 1924), p.6; Footscray's First Defeat, The Argus, (Monday, 1 September 1924), p.14.
- ^ North Finish Well, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 2 May 1925), p.1.
- ^ Fitzroy Very Strong, The Argus, (Monday, 11 May 1925), p.17.
- ^ "Remembering our ANZACs". nmfc.com.au. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
References edit
- World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Alfred Goonan (VX46909), Australian Government: Department of Veterans' Affairs.
- World War Two Service Record: Private Alfred Goonan (VX46909), National Archives of Australia.
- AIF Casualty List: Victoria: Missing Believed Wounded, The Argus, (Friday, 6 February 1942), p.5.
- Roll of Honour: Private Alfred Goonan (VX46909), Australian War Memorial.
- Second World War P.O.W.s and Missing Persons, Australian War Memorial.
- Sportsmen All, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 11 April 1942), p.3.
- We Will Remember Them, nmfc.com.au, 20 April 2018.
- Andrew Warland, "The Battle of Bakri, Malaya: 17–20 January 1942 – And the aftermath (updated 11 March 2018)". Archived 20 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- Private Alfred Goonan (VX46909), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
External links edit
- Alf Goonan's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Alf Goonan at AustralianFootball.com