Dick Harris (Australian rules footballer)
Richard Dennis Harris (21 October 1911 – 30 September 1993)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1934 and 1944 for the Richmond Football Club. Harris played mainly as a rover and was highly successful in front of goals. He also represented Victoria at interstate football, playing a total of nine games for his state including the 1937 Perth Carnival.
Dick Harris | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | Richard Dennis Harris | ||
Date of birth | 21 October 1911 | ||
Place of birth | Warrnambool, Victoria | ||
Date of death | 30 September 1993 81) | (aged||
Original team(s) | Warrnambool | ||
Height | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) | ||
Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1934–1944 | Richmond | 196 (548) | |
1945–1947 | Williamstown (VFA) | 37 (141) | |
1947–1948 | Yarraville (VFA) | 34 (91) | |
Coaching career | |||
Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
1964 | Richmond | 6 (3–3–0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1948. | |||
Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Early life
Born and raised in Warrnambool, he started his playing career with Victoria Ward in the Warrnambool Junior FA in 1927. His father had told him he would get a shilling for every goal he kicked. His first game he kicked seven goals. In 1931 he joined the main town side Warrnambool in the Western District Football League. He kicked 96 goals in his first season and was the league's leading goalkicker. In 1933 Warrnambool moved to the Hampden Football League and Harris was again the league's leading goalkicker with 85 goals.
VFL career
At the end of 1933 Richmond recruited him and he made his debut for them in 1934. Harris played mainly as a rover and was highly successful in front of goals, kicking 51 goals in his debut season. He topped Richmond's goalkicking on three occasions and his career best 64 goals in the 1937 home and away season was the most in the VFL that year. A premiership player in 1934, Harris was a member of another Richmond premiership team in 1943 when he kicked seven goals in their five-point Grand Final win against Essendon Football Club.
VFA career
At the end of the 1944 season he left the league and joined Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Williamstown, helping them to the 1945 premiership. Later, after two seasons at Wiiliamstown, Harris was cleared to Yarraville.
He moved onto the Federal league club Mordialloc, and captain-coached them to a hat-trick of premierships from 1950 to 1952.[2] Harris later was appointed as Reserves coach for Camberwell in the VFA in 1953.[3]
References
- "Dick Harris - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- Atkinson, p. 48.
- "1953 - Harris at Camberwell". Trove Newspapers. The Age (Melbourne, Vic). 24 February 1952. p. 14. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
Sources
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dick Harris (Australian rules footballer). |
- Atkinson, G. (1982) Everything you ever wanted to know about Australian rules football but couldn't be bothered asking, The Five Mile Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0 86788 009 0.
- Hogan P: The Tigers of Old, Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
- Richmond Football Club – Hall of Fame
- Dick Harris' playing record from The VFA Project