August D. "Gus" Kearney (22 November 1870 – 10 March 1907) was an Australian rules footballer that played for the Essendon Football Club

Essendon Football Club

The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

, and was a part of the Bombers' 1897 premiership team

1897 VFL finals series

The Victorian Football League's 1897 finals series determined the top four final positions of the 1897 VFL season. It began on the weekend of August 21, 1897 and ended on the weekend of September 3, 1897...

.

Kearney came from Geelong College and played in three of the Essendon Association's premierships between 1892 and 1894. Kearney was a skilled follower who played intercolonial football in 1893.

Kearney was the vice-captain

Captain (Australian rules football)

A captain of an Australian rules football team, sometimes known as a skipper is a player who, during the course of a match and off the field, has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player....

 of Essendon in his two playing years for the club in the Victorian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

, 1897 and 1898.

He also excelled at tennis, winning the New South Wales Open twice and Victorian Singles title six times.

Kearney died young on 10 March 1907, after a nasal operation.