George Bower (footballer)

George Buxton Bower (18 June 1884 – 5 February 1964)[2] was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

George Bower
Personal information
Full name George Buxton Bower
Date of birth 18 June 1884
Place of birth South Melbourne, Victoria
Date of death 5 February 1964(1964-02-05) (aged 79)
Place of death Brighton, Victoria
Original team(s) Leopold[1]
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 75 kg (165 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1909–1914 South Melbourne 75 (11)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1914.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Football

Bower made his debut in round one, 1909, against Geelong, at Corio Oval on 1 May 1909.

He became the second member of his family to play for South Melbourne, with his elder brother Harold having played for the club earlier in the decade.[3]

He was a member of a premiership team in his very first season, playing as a centreman in the 1909 VFL Grand Final.[4][2][5]

In 1912, South Melbourne made another grand final, but Bower didn't play as he had received a four-week suspension in the semi final, for striking Essendon's Fred Baring.[6]

He played his last senior match, against Geelong, on 2 May 1914, in which he was one of the best on the ground.[7]

Military service

Bower's career ended when he enlisted to serve his country in World War I.

While in England he played for the (losing) Australian Training Units team in the famous "Pioneer Exhibition Game" of Australian Rules football, held in London, in October 1916. A news film was taken at the match.[8][9]

During the war he served with the 13th Light Horse Regiment[10]

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See also
  • "Pioneer Exhibition Game" in London (1916)

Footnotes
  1. The Argus, "Club Gossip", 11 June 1909, p. 9
  2. "George Bower - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  3. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
  4. Football Final, The Argus, (Saturday, 2 October 1909), p.17; Football Premiership, The Age, (Monday, 4 October 1909), p.8; Observer, "South Melbourne Wins", The Age, (Monday, 4 October 1909), p.6.
  5. AFL Tables: George Bower
  6. The Argus, "Bower Disqualified For Final", 19 September 1912, p. 7
  7. South's Superior System, The Argus, (Monday, 4 May 1914), p.6.
  8. The original newsreel: Australian Football (Pathé Newsreel, 1916) on YouTube
  9. The 2019 remastered and colourised version of the original newsreel: Australian Football (Pathé Newsreel, 1916), remastered and colourised version (2019) on YouTube
  10. "First World War Embarkation Roll - George Buxton Bower". Australian War Memorial.

References
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