George Stephen Sparrow (20 November 1869 – 6 April 1933)[2] was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne and both played for and coached St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| George Sparrow | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 George Sparrow, 1895 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | George Stephen Sparrow | ||
| Date of birth | 20 November 1869 | ||
| Place of birth | St Kilda, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 6 April 1933 (aged 63)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Caulfield, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | St Kilda Esplanade | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1892–1896 | Richmond (VFA) | 86 (56) | |
| 1898 | South Melbourne | 14 (2) | |
| 1899 | St Kilda | 11 (0) | |
| Total | 111 (58) | ||
| Coaching career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 1913, 1920, 1928–29 | St Kilda | 63 (37–26–0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1929. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Football edit
Nicknamed 'Sugar', Sparrow began his career in the Victorian Football Association playing for Richmond, where he was captain for two years.
He joined the VFL in its second season, and after having to sit out 1897 to gain a clearance, represented South Melbourne before switching to St Kilda the following year.
After retiring, Sparrow turned to coaching and was appointed senior coach of St Kilda in 1913. He coached the club to its first ever Grand Final: the Saints had defeated Minor Premiers Fitzroy in the Final, but under the rules at the time, Fitzroy had an automatic right of challenge, and they won the Grand Final the following week.
Sparrow quit as coach at the end of 1913, coaching five games as caretaker coach in 1920. He returned again in 1928, this time for a two-season stint, with the Saints finishing sixth, missing the finals on percentage. In 1929 he coached St Kilda to the finals again, with a Semi Final loss ending the club's season.
He finished with a winning percentage of 58.73% as a coach.
Notes edit
- ^ "FOOTBALL". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 10 April 1933. p. 2. Retrieved 16 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Family Notices". The Argus. Melbourne. 7 April 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
References edit
- Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
- Football Favorites, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 18 May 1895), p.13
- Football: Season 1895 Senior Captains, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 18 May 1895), p.10
External links edit
- George Sparrow's playing statistics from AFL Tables
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