Arthur Hiskins Explained

Arthur Hiskins
Fullname:	Arthur Hiskins
Birth Date:	9 September 1886
Birth Place:	Wahgunyah, Victoria
Death Place:	Bentleigh, Victoria
Originalteam:	Rutherglen
Height:	178 cm
Weight:	76 kg
Statsend:	1923
Years1:	1908–1915, 1919–1923
Club1:	South Melbourne
Games Goals1:	185 (56)
Coachyears1:	1920
Coachclub1:	South Melbourne
Coachgames Wins1:	16 (7–9–0)

Arthur 'Poddy' Hiskins (9 September 1886 – 23 October 1971)^[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Family

One of fourteen children, and the son of John Hiskins (1853-1946)^[2] and Emma Hiskins (1856-1934), née Thompson,^[3] Arthur Hiskins was born in Wahgunyah, Victoria, on 9 September 1886. He married Annie Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bett (1897-1986) in 1927.^{[4] [5]}

Three of his eight brothers also played senior VFL football: Fred Hiskins (1878–1946), played 50 games with Essendon, Stanley Hiskins (1890–1974), 66 games with South Melbourne, and Rupert Hiskins (1893–1976), 74 games with Carlton. His nephew, Jack Hiskins, Fred's son, played 16 games with Essendon.

Football

Recruited from Rutherglen Football Club,^[6] Hiskins was a versatile player who was usually used in defence but sometimes pushed up forward. He could kick the ball long distances, and was one of the faster players in the side.

Player (South Melbourne)

He made his debut on 2 May 1908, against Fitzroy, at the age of 21.^[7] He played 185 senior games, kicked 56 goals, and retired, aged 37, at the end of 1923, having played at full-back in the 1923 Preliminary Final (also against Fitzroy).^[8]

Over his career, he played in six Semi-Finals, three Preliminary Finals, and one Grand Final, selected at centre half-forward,^[9] in the 1909 premiership team.^[10]

He did not play in 1916, 1917, and 1918 due to his war service. He immediately resumed his career, upon his discharge from the army (on 1 September 1919),^[11] in the match against Carlton on 6 September 1919.

Representative player

In 1913, he was selected to represent the VFL in a match against a combined Ballarat Football League team on 5 July 1913;^[12] he was replaced by Bill Eastick.^[13]

Captain-coach (South Melbourne)

He was captain-coach of South Melbourne in 1920.

Goal Umpire

Hiskins officiated in 52 league games as a goal umpire from 1930 to 1933.^[14]

Tribunal

He was reported twice; and was suspended on each occasion.

• 1912: 31 August 1912 (round 18) — reported by VFL steward Fred Fontaine for striking Collingwood's Ted Rowell, he was suspended for 4 matches:^[15] "the investigation committee held that the charge … [of] striking Rowell … was sustained by the evidence, and that being so, they rightly determined that the pugilistic tendency [of Hiskens] should be checked by rustication" (The Leader, 14 September 1912).^[16]
• 1914: 6 June 1914 (round 7) — reported, again by Fred Fontaine, for striking Richmond's Ted Farrell, he was suspended for the rest of the season (i.e., 13 matches).^[17]

Military service

Hiskins enlisted in the First AIF in October 1916, and was discharged in September 1919.

Death

He died on 23 October 1971.^[18]

References

• Sad Beach Fatality: Girl of Eleven Drowned: Another Girl in Grave Peril: South Footballer to the Rescue, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 26 January 1924, p.1.
• Web site: 200 Club push for 'Mulga', Baxter and Bob. De Bolfo. Tony. Carlton Football Club. 14 March 2017.
• World War One Service Record: Driver Arthur Hiskens (33157), National Archive of Australia.
• First World War Nominal Roll: Driver Arthur Hiskens (33157), Australian War Museum.

External links

• • Arthur Hiskins's coaching record at AFL Tables
• Boyles Football Photos: Arthur Hiskins

Notes and References

1. Web site: Arthur Hiskins - Player Bio . Australian Football . 11 November 2014.
2. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236265093 Obituary: Mr. John Hiskins, The Corowa Free Press, (Friday, 27 September 1946), p.5.
3. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164458566 Death of Mrs. E. Hiskens, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 13 January 1934), p.4.
4. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3900035 Marriages: Hiskins—Bett, The Argus, (Saturday, 24 December 1927), p.11.
5. Deaths: Hiskins, The Age, (Saturday, 12 July 1986), p.33.
6. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/99836413 Football, The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, (Friday, 9 August 1907), p.23.
7. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197341197 South Melbourne (7.11) Beat Fitzroy (6.8), The Age, (Monday, 4 May 1908), p.11
8. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/19806833 The Final Match, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 6 October 1923), p.2
9. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10737724 Football Final: South Melbourne v. Carlton: Positions on the Field, The Argus, (Saturday, 2 October 1909), p.17.
10. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10737989 South Melbourne Wins: The Game of the Season, The Argus, (Monday, 4 October 1909), p.6
11. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165178160 Welcome Home: Driver Arthur Hiskins, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 9 August 1919), p.2.
12. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241829446/26286655 Play and Players, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 4 July 1913), p.4.
13. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/217970010 Football, The Ballarat Star, (Friday, 11 July 1913), p.6.
14. http://aflua.com.au/statistics/player-umpires/ Player-Umpires, AFL Umpires Association.
15. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10507679 Rough Football: Hiskens Disqualified, The Argus, (Thursday, 5 September 1912), p.4
16. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198113164 Football Gossip, The (Melbourne) Leader, (Saturday, 14 September 1912), p.18.
17. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7267305 Football Incidents: A Rough Game, The Argus, (Monday, 8 June 1914), p.8
18. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CdhjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=upADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7304%2C5249608 Deaths: Hiskins, The Age, (Monday, 25 October 1971), p.13.