Tommy Downs (22 May 1901 – 11 August 1981)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Tommy Downs
Personal information
Date of birth 22 May 1901
Place of birth North Fitzroy, Victoria
Date of death 11 August 1981(1981-08-11) (aged 80)
Original team(s) Northcote
Height 159 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Weight 65 kg (143 lb)
Position(s) Rover
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1927–1933 Carlton 56 (44)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1933.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Downs was a Woodham Cup winner at Northcote in 1925, having previously played with Preston.

One of shortest ever footballers at Carlton, Downs had a poor record at the VFL tribunal. He was suspended for 12 games in 1928 and 19 games the following season, both for striking. The former came in a Semi Final loss to Richmond when he kicked a career best four goals and the latter was in a Preliminary Final. Most famously however he received a 29-game suspension in 1931 when he was reported for kicking Richmond's captain Maurie Hunter. In a postscript to this incident, in 1954 teammate Frank O'Rourke admitted in a newspaper interview that he kicked Hunter.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "Tommy Downs". Blueseum - Online Carlton Football Club Museum. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  2. ^ Atkinson, Graeme (1989). 3AW Book of Footy Records. South Melbourne: Magistra Publishing Company Pty Ltd. p. 278. ISBN 1863210091..
  • Tommy Downs's playing statistics from AFL Tables
  • Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.