Table of contents
Introduction
In the 1930's and 40's many VFL footballers played for their workplace team, some reluctantly and others more keenly. In 1930 the Victorian policeMelbourne Police League
A Police team played in the Wednesday League competition from 1927 to 1929. Conflict from union linked teams in that competition, due to the Police involvement is strikebreaking, was a major factor causing the Police to leave the Wednesday League and to form their own competition in 1930.
The internal Police Football League was formed in 1930 which had a great deal of success. Peter Bourke's 'A social history of workplace Australian football, 1860–1939' includes an interesting background to the politics of the formation of the league.
The six mainstays of the Victorian Police Football Association were the Russell Street, Traffic Branch and four suburban district teams: Southern, Western, Northern and Eastern. To accommodate the shift-work requirements of many police, games were normally played on Wednesday afternoons. Apart from this metropolitan-based competition, there were also irregular social or charity matches with police from country districts with community teams. Matches against adversaries formerly found in the WFL halted. (Burke, 2008, p.221-222)
As in other workplace competitions such as the tramways, the suburban teams in police football adopted the colours of the local VFL/VFA club. Police thus tapped into the existing football and suburban rivalries. The Southern Suburbs team’s home ground was the South Melbourne Cricket Ground—home to VFL team South Melbourne—and they played in the local colours of red and white. (Burke, 2008, p.224)
1935 Teams included
Southern Suburbs (Police League) - White and Red - South Melbourne Style
Motor Cycle and Traffic Branch (Police League)
North and West Suburbs (Police League) - Probably Footscray Style
Russell Street (Police League) - Black and Yellow - Richmond Style
Team Photos
RN8308 - Russell Street Police F.C 1936 Reproduced with permission from the collection of the Victorian Police
Category:
Police League
- wiki page:
- North West Suburbs Police Team 1935c (SLV 122_115)
- North West Suburbs Police Team 1935c (SLV 122_251)
- Russell Street Police 1930 (SLV 122_436)
- Russell Street Police Team 1930s early (SLV 122_148)
- Russell Street Police Team 1930s Possibly (SLV 122_237)
- Russell Street Police Team 1936 (RN8308)
- Southern Suburbs Police FC 1936 (RN8309)
Police and Football
Charity Matches
The Police football team, then and now, has regularly played matches to raise money for charity.Charity Football Williamstown Police v Local Council
'Williamstown's burly constables. and councillors will be seen in a new role at the Football Ground on Monday, when they will impersonate. 36 footballers in a praiseworthy effort to assist the Police Queen in the Blind Appeal.....Both teams are said to include a number of heavyweights, and ;are said to be evenly matched in their ignorance of the game, so a great tussle should result.' - Williamstown Chronicle 6-Jun-1931 p3
Fun report of Williamstown Charity Match
POLICE V. COUNCIL. (1931, June 13). Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69505278
Post and Telegraph defeat Police in Charity Match
MATCH FOR CHARITY. (1935, June 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 15. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12252974
Warracknabeal defeat Police in Charity Match
POLICE DEFEATED AT WARRACKNABEAL. (1935, September 30). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11772225
Note - A photo of the Police team for this match featuring Laurie Nash, George Jerram, Jack Perkins, Jack Evans and Neville Huggins exists in the Police Museum Collection.
Umpire Rescue
Crowds at football matches in the 1930s could get quite involved. A number of Police stories at matches involve umpire rescue.FOOTBALL UMPIRE ATTACKED. (1931, September 21). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 6. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4437833
FOOTBALL UMPIRE STABBED WITH HATPIN. (1934, July 30). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 9. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10990031
Crowd Control
Crowds would surge onto the field and join a melee. Police were often required to break up fights at VFL, VFA and in many other leagues.SERGEANT'S NOSE FRACTURED. (1937, July 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 9. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11102842
Police intervene in brawl at Wednesday League Match
Considering the issues the Police team had with the Wednesday League in the 1920s, they were still regulars at games in the 1930s.
FIGHTS AT FOOTBALL. (1932, July 21). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 7. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4464110
VFL/AFL Police Footballers
Over 100 Police Officers are known to have played VFL/AFL FootballSee the Police Senior Footballer List
Famous Police Footballers
The Victoria Police Amateur Sports & Welfare Society Hall of Fame includes a number of Footballers who played though the 1930s-50s. These include
Ron Taylor (South Melbourne and St Kilda in 1950s)
Fred Hughson (Fitzroy 1940s)
Joe Sellwood (Geelong 1930s and 40s)
Jack 'Copper' Evans (Geelong 1930s)
Jack Dyer (Richmond 1930s and 40s)
Other VPASWS Hall of Fame members include early Collingwood player Bill Proudfoot and more recently footballer and personality Rex Hunt.
Laurie Nash also played with the Police for a short period in the 1930s.
Further Information
Match Details
Examples of Details available on Trove.1934
Wed 04-07-1934 Matches TodayPolice Association. (1934, July 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 10. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10963962
Thu 21-06-1934 Round Results
POLICE MATCHES. (1934, June 21). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 16. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10948512
1935
Fri 17-05-1935 Round Results - 1st RoundPolice Association. (1935, May 17). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 14. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12239411
Sat 18-05-1935 Round Results
POLICE GAMES. (1936, June 18). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 15. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11043005
Thu 23-05-1935 Round Results
POLICE MATCHES. (1935, May 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12241435
Thu 13-06-1935 Round Results
CROWD HOOTS DECISION. (1935, June 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 19. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12248228
Wed 24-07-1935 Matches Today
POLICE MATCHES. (1935, July 24). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 10. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11751109
Thu 25-07-1935 Round Results
POLICE GAMES. (1935, July 25). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 14. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11751330
Wed 28-08-1935 Matches Today
Police Final. (1935, August 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11761932
Thu 29-08-1935 Round Results
KEEN POLICE FINAL. (1935, August 29). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11762273
1936
Thu 25-06-1936 Round ResultsWILLIAMSON EXONERATED. (1936, June 25). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 15. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11044669
Thu 09-07-1936 Round Results
POLICE CONTESTS. (1936, July 9). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 15. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11890078
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