Wally Lock

Walter Albert "Wally" Lock (22 January 1917 – 17 June 1992)[1][2] was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Wally Lock
Personal information
Full name Walter Albert Lock
Date of birth (1917-01-22)22 January 1917
Place of birth Maryborough, Victoria
Date of death 17 June 1992(1992-06-17) (aged 75)
Original team(s) Maryborough
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 83 kg (183 lb)
Position(s) Half back flank
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1936–41, 1946–49 Melbourne 140 (14)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1949.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

VFL career

Recruited from Maryborough, Lock began playing for Melbourne in 1936 as a half forward flanker and was known as the "Bunton" of Melbourne in his early years.[3] In 1939, Lock missed out in playing in the Demons' premiership, due to being suspended. In 1940, Lock again missed being a part of Melbourne's premiership team, after being injured in the preliminary final. He was, however, one of Melbourne's best players, his performance described as "outstanding", in their 1941 premiership side.[4]

In 1942 Lock enlisted in the Australian Army to serve in World War II.[5] He held the rank of corporal and served in the 4th Field Ambulance. He was discharged on 4 January 1946 after the conclusion of World War II.[6]

After being discharged from the Army, Lock began playing for Melbourne again in 1946. He was Melbourne's best and fairest in 1947.[7] He was also named in the Sporting Life "Team of the Year" in 1947. In 1948 Lock injured his knee in a semi final[3] and again missed out on playing in a Melbourne premiership. After playing only four games in 1949 due to the knee injury suffered in 1948, Lock retired in the 1950 pre-season when he found out the knee was "not likely to respond to treatment".[8]

Legacy

Lock was made a life member of the Melbourne Football Club in 1946.[9] Lock was a boyhood hero of Ron Barassi.[10] Barassi described Lock as someone who "combined strength with guile and football intelligence" and "was dashing and played with flair".[11] He was named on the interchange bench in Melbourne's official 'Team of the Century'.[12]

Footnotes
  1. "Wally Lock – Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  2. "genealogy". ancestry.com. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  3. Beames, Percy (21 September 1948). "Lock May Not Play Again". The Age. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. Hobbs (1984), pp. 42–43
  5. Taylor, Percy, "Melbourne are Proud of their Great War Record", The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 June 1944), p. 23.
  6. "LOCK, WALTER ALBERT". WW2 Nominal Roll. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  7. Hobbs (1984), p. 144
  8. Taylor, Percy (20 March 1950). "WAL LOCK WILL NOT PLAY AGAIN Melbourne loses star". The Argus. Melbourne. p. 18. Retrieved 12 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. Hobbs (1984), p. 24
  10. "Barassi's special mark". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 May 1995. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  11. Holroyd, Jane (1 June 2005). "THOUGHTS ON SPORT – RON BARASSI". The Age. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  12. Ward, Janelle (14 March 2008). "2008 Player profiles". The Age. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
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References
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