Jack Cooper (Australian rules footballer)

For other persons named Jack Cooper, see Jack Cooper
Jack Cooper
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John Thomas "Jack" Cooper (21 February 1889 — 20 September 1917) was an Australian rules football

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...

er who played for Fitzroy

Fitzroy Football Club

The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...

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...

(VFL).

He died in action, whilst serving in the First AIF, during the Battle of Passchendaele.

Early life

Jack Cooper was the son of Fred and Florence Cooper. He was born in Fitzroy North

Fitzroy North, Victoria

Fitzroy North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Yarra and Moreland. At the 2006 Census, Fitzroy North had a population of 11,069....

on 21 February 1889, and he attended the Alfred Crescent State School in Fitzroy North. In his youth he was a fine cricketer as well as a highly talented footballer, and went on to be a regular player with the Fitzroy Footballers Cricket Club.

He worked for the company of Fitzroy Football Club's President, D.J. "Don" Chandler, as a storeman.

He and his wife, Margaret M. Cooper, resided at 38 York Street, Fitzroy North.

Footballer

A somewhat thick-set man at 5 in 10 in (177.8 cm) and 12 st (76.2035 kg), Cooper was a champion half-back. Recruited from the local team North Fitzroy Juniors, he played his first senior VFL game for the Fitzroy Football Club against Collingwood

Collingwood Football Club

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

on 27 April 1907 at Victoria Park

Victoria Park, Melbourne

Victoria Park is a sports venue in Abbotsford a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Built for the purpose of both Australian rules football and cricket, the stadium is oval shaped....

. In his first season he played 11 matches and scored 1 goal.

In 1912, after he had been appointed captain of the Fitzroy senior team,a contemporary report spoke of the tough, speedy, skillful, and tenacious Cooper as follows:
He played in the Fitzroy team that won the 1913 premiership by defeating St Kilda 7.14 (56) to 5.13 (43) in the 1913 Grand Final

1913 VFL Grand Final

The 1913 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Fitzroy Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1913. It was the 16th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the...

Match; he was one of Fitzroy's best players in that match. He was the Fitzroy club's best and fairest player in both the 1911 and 1914 seasons (see Fitzroy FC honour roll#1910–1919), and he was the Fitzroy team captain in 1912, and its vice-captain from 1913 to 1915.

He also played eight games for Victoria, including the match against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval on 10 August 1912, when he captained the Victorian team that lost to South Australia 9.8 (62) to 6.7 (43).

In his career with Fitzroy he played 136 senior games and scored 8 goals.

He played his last senior VFL game for Fitzroy on Saturday 11 September 1915, in the 1915 Preliminary Final, that was won by Carlton

Carlton Football Club

The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...

6.18 (54) to 5.8 (38).

Dealings with VFL Tribunal

He was reported once in his playing career, in the 14 August, 1909 match against Carlton

Carlton Football Club

at the Brunswick Street Oval

Brunswick Street Oval

The Brunswick Street Oval, currently known as WT Peterson Community Oval, also known as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground is a cricket and Australian rules football ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria...

, for charging and striking; he was suspended for 12 weeks.

In the 26 June, 1915 match against Carlton

Carlton Football Club

at the Brunswick Street Oval

Brunswick Street Oval

, a former Fitzroy player, the Carlton

Carlton Football Club

centre half-back and team captain Billy Dick

Billy Dick

William John "Billy" Dick was an Australian rules footballer who played for and in the Victorian Football League ....

, was reported for striking Cooper; Dick was suspended for 10 weeks.

Soldier

He enlisted in the 8th Battalion of the First AIF

First Australian Imperial Force

The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...

on 8 November 1915 and left for France on the troopship Wiltshire on 7 March 1916.

In France, Cooper saw action in the Battle of the Somme. He was only in the trenches for a short time when he was so badly gassed that once his immediate discomfort had been dealt with, he was repatriated to England to allow him to recuperate.

Having recuperated fully, he played for the (losing) Australian Training Units team in the famous October 1916 Exhibition match that was held in London, just before returning to active service in France. Most likely through the effects of the gas, Cooper's throat continued to give him a lot of trouble (he almost lost his voice) and, once again, he was repatriated to England.

Although he was sent to Aldershot for officer training, he never rose above the rank of Lance-Corporal.

He returned to France once more and was killed in action in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, at Polygon Wood, during the Battle of Passchendaele on 20 September 1917. His remains were never recovered.

External links

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Early life

Footballer

Dealings with VFL Tribunal

Soldier

See also

External links