Ivor Warne-Smith
Encyclopedia
Ivor Warne-Smith was an Australian footballer
, who played for the Melbourne Football Club
in the Victorian Football League
and for the Latrobe Football Club
in the North-Western Football Union in Tasmania
. During his time with Melbourne he won dual Brownlow Medal
s, played in their 1926 premiership side, was captain-coach of the club and represented Victoria on numerous occasions. Warne-Smith remained heavily involved with the club for the remainder of his life and was named in the Melbourne Football Club Team of the Century and was also named in the Tasmanian Team of the Century. During his life Warne-Smith also fought in both World War I
and World War II
.
, but his family moved to Melbourne
when he was a child, and he was educated at Wesley College
, where was noted both as a footballer and cricket
er. In 1914 he received "triple honour colours" at Wesley, for showing "exceptional commitment to the team and an outstanding level of skill in the specific sport" in three separate sports. As a teenager he played for Collegians in the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association.
: he enlisted in 1915 (he was below enlistment age but pretended to be 18, as many Australians did) and served at Gallipoli
and on the Western Front
. Both his brothers were killed in the war.
, in the VFL
and played eight games at centre halfback in that season.
in Tasmania
, where he became an orchardist. From 1920 to 1924 he played with the Latrobe club (the Diehards) in the Tasmanian North-Western Football Union (NWFU), and was captain-coach from 1922 onwards. Latrobe were premiers in 1922 and 1924 and runners up in 1923. In 1923 and 1924 he was runner-up in the NWFU's Cheel Medal for the best and fairest player. He was captain of the NWFU representative team in statewide competition, and was selected to play for Tasmania in the 1924 national carnival
, although he was unable to make the journey.
. From 1928 (the year he won his second Brownlow) to 1931 he was both captain and coach. He also played for Victoria against other state sides from 1926 to 1929, and was captain of the state team in 1928 and 1929. He officially retired from the playing at the end of 1931, but coached the club in 1932, and played in several games that season when other players were unavailable.
newspaper and worked as an executive with the Vacuum Oil Company
(later absorbed by Mobil
).
, he rejoined the Army (having been initially rejected on the grounds that he was too old at 43). He served with the Royal Australian Army Service Corps
, in charge of fuel supplies, in the Middle East
, the Northern Territory
, New Guinea
and Borneo
. For his leadership during the Borneo operations, he was mentioned in dispatches
. He was demobilised in October 1945.
, which at this time controlled the Melbourne Football Club. These were greatest years in Melbourne's history: under coach Norm Smith
Melbourne won premierships in 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1959. Warne-Smith was Smith's closest advisor and was regarded as the club's elder statesman, becoming a life member in 1952. He retired due to ill health in 1959.
twice: in 1926, and again in 1928. He was the first player to win the medal twice, and one of eleven to have won the Brownlow in the same year that his team won the premiership.
In June 2000 Warne-Smith was named to the position of centre half-forward in the Melbourne Football Club's Team of the Century, in a ceremony attended by his four grandsons. In 2004 he was named in the official Tasmanian Team of the Century. He was also been made a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame
in 1996.
"Ivor Warne-Smith, quiet and unassuming, was nonetheless energetic and enthusiastic in his endeavours to keep the Team up to the mark. The Club is fortunate indeed in having such a brilliant and versatile player as Coach and leader. Old and new Players alike treat his advice and instructions with the utmost respect."
"For solid, effective brilliance, Ivor Warne-Smith will always rank as one of the best players the game has known. He can play anywhere. The ruck, defence, attack, or centre positions all come alike to this brainy, sterling footballer. Warne-Smith is an astute leader, who makes some daring moves and inspires his players by his own brilliance."
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, who played for the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
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...
and for the Latrobe Football Club
Latrobe Football Club
The Latrobe Football Club is an Australian rules football club which competed in the NWFU between 1910 and 1986. The club has been a playing member of the NTFL since 1987. Latrobe were one of the most successful NWFU clubs and their tally of 12 premierships in a joint record, shared with Burnie and...
in the North-Western Football Union in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. During his time with Melbourne he won dual Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
s, played in their 1926 premiership side, was captain-coach of the club and represented Victoria on numerous occasions. Warne-Smith remained heavily involved with the club for the remainder of his life and was named in the Melbourne Football Club Team of the Century and was also named in the Tasmanian Team of the Century. During his life Warne-Smith also fought in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life
Warne-Smith was born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, but his family moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
when he was a child, and he was educated at Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
, where was noted both as a footballer and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. In 1914 he received "triple honour colours" at Wesley, for showing "exceptional commitment to the team and an outstanding level of skill in the specific sport" in three separate sports. As a teenager he played for Collegians in the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association.
WWI
His career was interrupted by World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
: he enlisted in 1915 (he was below enlistment age but pretended to be 18, as many Australians did) and served at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
and on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. Both his brothers were killed in the war.
Victorian Football League
On returning to Melbourne in 1919 Warne-Smith joined the Melbourne Football ClubMelbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
, in the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and played eight games at centre halfback in that season.
North-Western Football Union
In 1920, however, he moved to LatrobeLatrobe Football Club
The Latrobe Football Club is an Australian rules football club which competed in the NWFU between 1910 and 1986. The club has been a playing member of the NTFL since 1987. Latrobe were one of the most successful NWFU clubs and their tally of 12 premierships in a joint record, shared with Burnie and...
in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, where he became an orchardist. From 1920 to 1924 he played with the Latrobe club (the Diehards) in the Tasmanian North-Western Football Union (NWFU), and was captain-coach from 1922 onwards. Latrobe were premiers in 1922 and 1924 and runners up in 1923. In 1923 and 1924 he was runner-up in the NWFU's Cheel Medal for the best and fairest player. He was captain of the NWFU representative team in statewide competition, and was selected to play for Tasmania in the 1924 national carnival
1924 Hobart Carnival
The 1924 Hobart Carnival was the fifth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
, although he was unable to make the journey.
Back to the VFL
By 1924 Warne-Smith had such a reputation that Victorian teams were keen to bring him back to Melbourne, despite the fact that he was already 27. In 1925 he returned to the Melbourne club, where he played a further 146 games, usually in the backline. But he was also a talented ruckman and could play in the centre or forward line in required. Under his leadership Melbourne won the premiership in 1926, the club's first since 1900, and during 1926 Warne-Smith also won his first Brownlow MedalBrownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
. From 1928 (the year he won his second Brownlow) to 1931 he was both captain and coach. He also played for Victoria against other state sides from 1926 to 1929, and was captain of the state team in 1928 and 1929. He officially retired from the playing at the end of 1931, but coached the club in 1932, and played in several games that season when other players were unavailable.
Life After Football
After retiring from football Warne-Smith became a regular football writer for the Melbourne ArgusThe Argus (Australia)
The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne established in 1846 and closed in 1957. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left leaning approach from 1949...
newspaper and worked as an executive with the Vacuum Oil Company
Vacuum Oil Company
Vacuum Oil Company was an American oil company known for their Gargoyle 600-W Steam Cylinder Oil. Vacuum Oil merged with Socony Oil to form Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, and is now a part of ExxonMobil.-History:...
(later absorbed by Mobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
).
WWII
On the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he rejoined the Army (having been initially rejected on the grounds that he was too old at 43). He served with the Royal Australian Army Service Corps
Royal Australian Army Service Corps
The Royal Australian Army Service Corps was an Australian army unit. Formed shortly after the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, it was known as the Australian Army Service Corps . The MSC/AASC/RAASC served in World War I, World War II, as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force...
, in charge of fuel supplies, in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. For his leadership during the Borneo operations, he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
. He was demobilised in October 1945.
Chairman of Selectors
In 1949 Warne-Smith became chairman of selectors for the Melbourne Football Club, a post he held until his death. He was also elected to the committee of the Melbourne Cricket ClubMelbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club is a sporting club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is regarded as the oldest sporting club in Australia....
, which at this time controlled the Melbourne Football Club. These were greatest years in Melbourne's history: under coach Norm Smith
Norm Smith
Norman Walter "Norm" Smith was an Australian rules football player and coach in the Victorian Football League. After 200 games as a player with Melbourne and Fitzroy, Smith began a twenty year coaching career, including a fifteen year stint at Melbourne...
Melbourne won premierships in 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1959. Warne-Smith was Smith's closest advisor and was regarded as the club's elder statesman, becoming a life member in 1952. He retired due to ill health in 1959.
Legacy
Warne-Smith won the Brownlow MedalBrownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
twice: in 1926, and again in 1928. He was the first player to win the medal twice, and one of eleven to have won the Brownlow in the same year that his team won the premiership.
In June 2000 Warne-Smith was named to the position of centre half-forward in the Melbourne Football Club's Team of the Century, in a ceremony attended by his four grandsons. In 2004 he was named in the official Tasmanian Team of the Century. He was also been made a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
in 1996.
"Ivor Warne-Smith, quiet and unassuming, was nonetheless energetic and enthusiastic in his endeavours to keep the Team up to the mark. The Club is fortunate indeed in having such a brilliant and versatile player as Coach and leader. Old and new Players alike treat his advice and instructions with the utmost respect."
"For solid, effective brilliance, Ivor Warne-Smith will always rank as one of the best players the game has known. He can play anywhere. The ruck, defence, attack, or centre positions all come alike to this brainy, sterling footballer. Warne-Smith is an astute leader, who makes some daring moves and inspires his players by his own brilliance."