George Davidson (footballer) explained

George Davidson
Fullname:	George Davidson
Birth Date:	13 June 1872
Birth Place:	Bealiba, Victoria
Death Place:	Corryong, Victoria
Statsend:	1900
Years1:	1897–1900
Games Goals1:	37 (0)

George Davidson (13 June 1872 – 25 August 1945) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football Association and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).^[1] His football career ended prematurely when he broke his leg in 1900.

Family

The eighth of the ten children of David Davidson (1824-1895),^{[2] [3]} and Hellen Davidson (1828-1887), née Forrest,^[4] George Davidson was born at Bealiba, Victoria, on 13 June 1872.

He married Alice Margaret Graves (1879-1962), at Rutherglen, Victoria, on 25 October 1904.^[5] They had four children.

Football

Collingwood (VFA)

Recruited from Mission Ramblers in 1894,^[6] he played in 13 games (kicked 2 goals) for Collingwood in the VFA over the team's last three seasons in the VFA competition (1894-1896).^[7]

South Melbourne (VFL)

He played his first match for South Melbourne, against Geelong, at the Lake Oval on 24 July 1897.^[8]

In his second-last match, playing on the half-back flank, he was one of the best players in the South Melbourne 1899 Grand Final team that lost to Fitzroy by one point: 3.8 (26) to 3.9 (27).^[9]

In the final quarter of his last match for South Melbourne, against Essendon on 5 May 1900 — he had been appointed the team's captain for the 1900 season^[10] — he fell and broke his leg.^[11] He did not play VFL football again.^{[12] [13]}

1899 team of "champions"

At the end of the 1899 season, in the process of naming his own "champion player", the football correspondent for The Argus, Reginald Wilmot ("Old Boy"), selected a team of the best players of the 1899 VFL competition:

• Backs: Maurie Collins (Essendon), Bill Proudfoot (Collingwood), Peter Burns (Geelong).
• Halfbacks: Pat Hickey (Fitzroy), George Davidson (South Melbourne), Alf Wood (Melbourne).
• Centres: Fred Leach (Collingwood), Firth McCallum (Geelong), Harry Wright (Essendon).
• Wings: Charlie Pannam (Collingwood), Eddie Drohan (Fitzroy), Herb Howson (South Melbourne).
• Forwards: Bill Jackson (Essendon), Eddy James (Geelong), Charlie Colgan (South Melbourne).
• Ruck: Mick Pleass (South Melbourne), Frank Hailwood (Collingwood), Joe McShane (Geelong).
• Rovers: Dick Condon (Collingwood), Bill McSpeerin (Fitzroy), Teddy Rankin (Geelong).

From those he considered to be the three best players — that is, Condon, Hickey, and Pleass — Wilmot selected Pat Hickey as his "champion player" of the season.^[14]

Death

He died (suddenly) at Corryong, Victoria on 25 August 1945.^{[15] [16] [17]}

References

• Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2014), The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: Every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.), Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. .

Notes and References

1. Holmesby & Main (2014), p.209.
2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article227717496 Gossip, The Sportsman, (Tuesday, 4 June 1895), p.6.
3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9360005 Deaths: Davidson, The Argus, (Tuesday, 28 May 1895), p.1.
4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241241016 Deaths: Davidson, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Thursday, 14 April May 1887), p.2.
5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196714804 Marriages: Davidson—Graves, The Leader, (Saturday, 26 November 1904.
6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241097906 Collingwood v. Carlton, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 14 September 1894), p.3.
7. https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/george-davidson George Davidson, 1894-1896, Collingwood Forever.
8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9152790 The Football Season, The Argus, (Monday, 26 July 1897), p.5.
9. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9030781 'Old Boy', "Football: Notes on Saturday's Games: The Premiership Final", The Argus, (Monday, 18 September 1899), p.6.
10. For the team's second game, and for the rest of the 1900 season, Bill Windley served as the team's captain.
11. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241249081 Accidents at Football, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 5 May 1900), p.4.
12. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108492763 Benefit Sports Meeting, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 29 September 1900), p.2.
13. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9558140 Benefit to Mr. George Davidson, The Argus, (Tuesday, 2 October 1900), p.6.
14. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9030781 'Old Boy', "Football: A Review of the Season", (Monday, 18 September 1899), p. 6.
15. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article269297747 Personal, The Corryong Courier, (Thursday, 30 August 1945), p.2.
16. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article269297755 Death: Davidson, The Corryong Courier, (Thursday, 30 August 1945), p.2.
17. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article974317 Deaths: Davidson, The Argus, (Thursday, 30 August 1945), p.2.