| Harry Saunders | |
| Fullname: | Henry George Saunders |
| Birth Date: | 21 May 1898 |
| Birth Place: | Portland, Victoria |
| Death Place: | East Melbourne, Victoria |
| Originalteam: | Collingwood Senior Cadets |
| Debutdate: | Round 4, 1916 |
| Debutteam: | Collingwood |
| Debutopponent: | Richmond |
| Debutstadium: | Victoria Park |
| Height: | 175 cm |
| Weight: | 76 kg |
| Statsend: | 1926 |
| Years1: | 1916–1926 |
| Club1: | Collingwood |
| Games Goals1: | 135 (10) |
| Coachyears1: | 1926 |
| Coachclub1: | Footscray |
| Coachgames Wins1: | 10 (3–7–0) |
Henry George 'Harry' Saunders (21 May 1898 – 9 December 1930)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood and coached Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
The son of Henry Saunders (1859-1921),[2] and Hannah Saunders (1863-1941), née Guiney,[3] Henry George Saunders was born at Portland, Victoria on 21 May 1898.
He married Millicent May "Mollie" Allen (1900-1963), later Mrs. Walter William James Crawford, in 1922.
He attended Christian Brothers' College, East Melbourne.
Saunders was recruited locally to Collingwood and went on to play 11 seasons with the club as a defender, mostly at full-back. He was a member of Collingwood premiership teams in 1917 and 1919 as well as playing in three losing Grand Finals. Saunders also represented the VFL at interstate football on three occasions.
In 1922, following a game where he had knocked out Carlton's Alex Duncan, the VFL Tribunal suspended him for six matches.[4] [5] He was also charged by the police,[6] found guilty in court, and fined £5, in default a month's imprisonment.[7] [8] [9]
After playing the opening two rounds of the 1926 season Saunders retired from playing.[10]
He was cleared to Footscray in mid-season 1926,[11] and coached them, as non-playing coach, in 10 games for three wins. South Melbourne's Paddy Scanlan was appointed as Footscray's captain-coach at the beginning of the 1927 season.
Saunders died on 9 December 1930 following an operation for pancreatitis, aged 32.[12] [13]