George Davidson (13 June 1872 – 25 August 1945) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football Association and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1] His football career ended prematurely when he broke his leg in 1900.
| George Davidson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Davidson in 1899 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | George Davidson | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1872 | ||
| Place of birth | Bealiba, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 25 August 1945 (aged 73) | ||
| Place of death | Corryong, Victoria | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1897–1900 | South Melbourne | 37 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1900. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family edit
The eighth of the ten children of David Davidson (1824-1895),[2][3] and Hellen Davidson (1828-1887), née Forrest,[4] George Davidson was born at Bealiba, Victoria, on 13 June 1872.
He married Alice Margaret Graves (1879-1962), at Rutherglen, Victoria, on 25 October 1904.[5] They had four children.
Football edit
Collingwood (VFA) edit
Recruited from Mission Ramblers in 1894,[6] he played in 13 games (kicked 2 goals) for Collingwood in the VFA over the team's last three seasons in the VFA competition (1894-1896).[7]
South Melbourne (VFL) edit
He played his first match for South Melbourne, against Geelong, at the Lake Oval on 24 July 1897.[8]
In his second-last match, playing on the half-back flank, he was one of the best players in the South Melbourne 1899 Grand Final team that lost to Fitzroy by one point: 3.8 (26) to 3.9 (27).[9]
In the final quarter of his last match for South Melbourne, against Essendon on 5 May 1900 — he had been appointed the team's captain for the 1900 season[10] — he fell and broke his leg.[11] He did not play VFL football again.[12][13]
1899 edit
At the end of the 1899 season, in the process of naming his own "champion player", Reginald Wilmot, the football correspondent for The Argus (i.e., "Old Boy"), selected a team of the best players of the 1899 VFL competition:[14]
- Backs: Maurie Collins (Essendon), Bill Proudfoot (Collingwood), Peter Burns (Geelong); Halfbacks: Pat Hickey (Fitzroy), George Davidson (South Melbourne), Alf Wood (Melbourne); Centres: Fred Leach (Collingwood), Firth McCallum (Geelong), Harry Wright (Essendon); Wings: Charlie Pannam (Collingwood), Eddie Drohan (Fitzroy), Herb Howson (South Melbourne); Forwards: Bill Jackson (Essendon), Eddy James (Geelong), Charlie Colgan (South Melbourne); Ruck: Mick Pleass (South Melbourne), Frank Hailwood (Collingwood), Joe McShane (Geelong); Rovers: Dick Condon (Collingwood), Bill McSpeerin (Fitzroy), Teddy Rankin (Geelong).
From those he considered to be the three best players — that is, Condon, Hickey, and Pleass — he selected Pat Hickey as his "champion player" of the season.
- Backs: Maurie Collins (Essendon), Bill Proudfoot (Collingwood), Peter Burns (Geelong); Halfbacks: Pat Hickey (Fitzroy), George Davidson (South Melbourne), Alf Wood (Melbourne); Centres: Fred Leach (Collingwood), Firth McCallum (Geelong), Harry Wright (Essendon); Wings: Charlie Pannam (Collingwood), Eddie Drohan (Fitzroy), Herb Howson (South Melbourne); Forwards: Bill Jackson (Essendon), Eddy James (Geelong), Charlie Colgan (South Melbourne); Ruck: Mick Pleass (South Melbourne), Frank Hailwood (Collingwood), Joe McShane (Geelong); Rovers: Dick Condon (Collingwood), Bill McSpeerin (Fitzroy), Teddy Rankin (Geelong).
Death edit
He died (suddenly) at Corryong, Victoria on 25 August 1945.[15][16][17]
Notes edit
- ^ Holmesby & Main (2014), p.209.
- ^ Gossip, The Sportsman, (Tuesday, 4 June 1895), p.6.
- ^ Deaths: Davidson, The Argus, (Tuesday, 28 May 1895), p.1.
- ^ Deaths: Davidson, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Thursday, 14 April May 1887), p.2.
- ^ Marriages: Davidson—Graves, The Leader, (Saturday, 26 November 1904.
- ^ Collingwood v. Carlton, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 14 September 1894), p.3.
- ^ George Davidson, 1894-1896, Collingwood Forever.
- ^ The Football Season, The Argus, (Monday, 26 July 1897), p.5.
- ^ 'Old Boy', "Football: Notes on Saturday's Games: The Premiership Final", The Argus, (Monday, 18 September 1899), p.6.
- ^ For the team's second game, and for the rest of the 1900 season, Bill Windley served as the team's captain.
- ^ Accidents at Football, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 5 May 1900), p.4.
- ^ Benefit Sports Meeting, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 29 September 1900), p.2.
- ^ Benefit to Mr. George Davidson, The Argus, (Tuesday, 2 October 1900), p.6.
- ^ 'Old Boy', "Football: A Review of the Season", (Monday, 18 September 1899), p.6.
- ^ Personal, The Corryong Courier, (Thursday, 30 August 1945), p.2.
- ^ Death: Davidson, The Corryong Courier, (Thursday, 30 August 1945), p.2.
- ^ Deaths: Davidson, The Argus, (Thursday, 30 August 1945), p.2.
References edit
- Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2014), The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: Every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.), Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
External links edit
- George Davidson's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- George Davidson at AustralianFootball.com