Reginald Francis Coyle (1 October 1917 – 26 April 1998) was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in the 1930s and 1940s.
| Reg Coyle | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Reginald Francis Coyle | ||
| Date of birth | 1 October 1917 | ||
| Place of birth | South Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 26 April 1998 (aged 80) | ||
| Place of death | Heidelberg, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | South Melbourne City | ||
| Debut | 1937, South Melbourne vs. Carlton, at Lake Oval | ||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1937–1941 | South Melbourne (VFL) | 53 (1) | |
| 1945 | South Melbourne (VFL) | 9 (2) | |
| 1946 | Port Melbourne (VFA) | 3 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1946. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family edit
The son of Reginald Charles Coyle (1889–1940),[1] and Ellen Cecilia Coyle (1885–1963), née Sullivan, Reginald Francis Coyle was born at South Melbourne, Victoria on 1 October 1917.
He married Annie Veronica Cawley (1918–1989) in 1940. They had six children.
Football edit
South Melbourne (VFL) edit
Coyle was recruited from the local club South Melbourne City (he had won the competition's beat and fairest award in 1936),[2] and made his VFL debut for South Melbourne against Carlton at the Lake Oval in Round 12 1937.[3]
A wingman, Coyle had played 53 senior games by the end of the 1941 season, and polled votes in the 1940 and 1941 Brownlow Medal counts.
Second AIF edit
He enlisted in the Second AIF in 1942,[4] and continued to play football with Army teams during his service.[5] In Queensland, in late June/early July, he was the vice-captain, and one of the team's best players, of a combined Army team (captain Charlie Van Der Bist) that beat a combined RAAF team (captain Allan La Fontaine) 17.14 (116) to 14.11 (95).[6]
South Melbourne (VFL) edit
On his discharge from the army (in 1945),[7] he played a further nine games in the 1945 season.
Port Melbourne (VFA) edit
He was cleared from South Melbourne to Port Melbourne in April 1946.[8][9]
Military service edit
He enlisted in the Second AIF on 18 July 1942, and had gained the rank of Corporal by the time of his discharge on 28 March 1945.[10]
Death edit
He died at Heidelberg, Victoria on 26 April 1998.[11]
Notes edit
- ^ Deaths: Coyle, The Argus, (Friday, 5 July 1940), p.4.
- ^ Association Men at South, The Argus, (Wednesday, 24 March 1937), p.12.
- ^ AFL Tables.
- ^ Taylor, Percy, "Sportsman turn to War, and — Are Proud of Their Uniform: 40 from North", The Australasian, (Saturday, 22 August 1942), p.14.
- ^ See, for example, Taylor, Percy, "They Work Hard, but Play when they Can: Sportsmen in the Greater Game of War", The Australasian, (Saturday, 26 September 1942), p.12, and de Lacy, H.A., "Football among Servicemen: Airmen Score in Lightning Title, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 2 October 1943), p.2.
- ^ Match report and team photographs at: Army beats Air Force in Northern Area, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 3 July 1943), p.2.
- ^ "Reg Coyle, who last played in 1941, and is now in the Army, has notified [South Melbourne] officials that he will be on leave shortly, and expected to play a few games": South Train Again, The Argus, (Thursday, 15 March 1945), p.13.
- ^ V.F.A. Gains Players: Four from South Melb., The Age, (Wednesday, 10 April 1946), p.7.
- ^ League Men Switch, The Age, (Saturday, 13 April 1946), p.10.
- ^ Nominal Roll.
- ^ Reginald Francis Coyle, at Find a Grave.
References edit
- World War Two Nominal Roll: Corporal Reginald Francis Coyle (VX88343), Department of Veterans' Affairs.
- A13860, VX88343: World War Two Service Record: Corporal Reginald Francis Coyle (VX88343), National Archives of Australia.
- B883, VX88343: World War Two Service Record: Corporal Reginald Francis Coyle (VX88343), National Archives of Australia.
External links edit
- Reg Coyle's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Reg Coyle at AustralianFootball.com
- Reg Coyle, at The VFA Project