Thomas Smith (Australian footballer) explained

Thomas Smith
Fullname:Thomas George Smith
Nickname:TG[1]
Birth Date:1851
Birth Place:Woolwich, England
Death Date:16 December 1909 (age 60)[2]
Years1:1870–1876
Club1: (Interclub)
Games Goals1:31
Years2:1877–1881
Club2: (SAFA)
Games Goals2:69[3]
Games Goalstotal:100
Careerhighlights:
  • 3x best and fairest (1877, 1878, 1879)

Thomas George Smith (1851 – 16 December 1909) was an Australian football player. He was a foundation player of the Football Club in 1870 and was also an inaugural player in the club's first SAFA season. During the first three seasons of the SAFA, he won 's best and fairest award.

Early life

Thomas Smith was born in 1851 in Woolwich, England. His family brought him to Australia when he was three years old.[4]

Football

Smith was arguably the first star player for the Port Adelaide Football Club. He won three consecutive best and fairest for Port Adelaide during the first three years of the South Australian Football Association (later SANFL) from 1877 to 1879.

On 29 May 1885 a football match on Adelaide Oval was organised by the SAFA between an All-Indigenous team captained by Harry Hewitt and a combined team selected by, the then retired Smith composed of players from Port Juniors, LeFevre Peninsula, Fitzroy and Kingston.[5] The match was very close and ended in a draw.[6]

Later life

Smith worked as a tailor on Commercial Road, Port Adelaide.[7]

Personal life

Thomas Smith was a cousin to Australian artist Mortimer Menpes.[8]

Notes and References

  1. News: Obituaries of the Week. . . LXVI . 5,260 . South Australia . 25 December 1909 . 28 June 2019 . 38 . National Library of Australia.
  2. News: Death Of MR. T. G. Smith . . South Australia . 17 December 1909 . 4 May 2020 . 1 . Trove .
  3. Web site: The Ultimate Port Adelaide Football Club Honour Board . 2015-02-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150203093308/http://pafchonourboard.com.au/ . 3 February 2015 . dmy-all .
  4. News: DEATH OF MR. T. G. SMITH. . . XLVII . 13,888 . South Australia . 17 December 1909 . 18 August 2018 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: 30 May 1885. THE ADELAIDE OVAL.. XLII. 20. Adelaide Observer. 2278. South Australia. National Library of Australia. 18 January 2022.
  6. News: Football . . XXVII . 8304 . 30 May 1885 . 17 February 2017 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18. . . Adelaide . 21 December 1878 . 17 February 2015 . 11 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: DEATH OF MR. T. G. SMITH. . . XLVII . 13,888 . South Australia . 17 December 1909 . 18 August 2018 . 1 . National Library of Australia.