John Chamberlain (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Aloysius Chamberlain (29 August 1884 – 1 April 1941) was an Australian sportsman who played Australian rules football
, cricket
and rugby union
at a high level.
After spending some time in Tasmania, Chamberlain moved to Sydney at the age of 17 and played Australian rules football for Paddington. During this time, he twice represented New South Wales at interstate football. He took up association football when he moved to Perth two years later but gave it away in 1906 to play for the Perth Football Club
in the West Australian Football Association
. Chamberlain did however play cricket in the summer and played one first-class
match for Western Australia
against New South Wales
in March 1907.
In 1908 he signed with the Norwood Football Club
in the South Australian Football League
. Playing as a forward, Chamberlain kicked 30 goals to top his club's goalkicking and fall just three short of league leader J. Mathieson from Port Adelaide. He participated in the 1908 Challenge Final, which Norwood lost narrowly, and represented South Australia in that year's Melbourne Carnival
.
Chamberlain played for Norwood initially in 1909 but during the year was relocated to Singapore
, through his work with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company. While in Singapore he played rugby union
and represented the Crown colony in fixtures again the Malay State. He also played for the Straits Settlements cricket team
, appearing in four matches against the Federated Malay States
between 1910 and 1913. In 1914, while on leave, Chamberplain played again with Norwood.
Two brothers, Cornelius
and Leonard
, were also gifted sportsmen. They played league football with Norwood and first-class cricket
for South Australian
.
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...
, 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...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
at a high level.
After spending some time in Tasmania, Chamberlain moved to Sydney at the age of 17 and played Australian rules football for Paddington. During this time, he twice represented New South Wales at interstate football. He took up association football when he moved to Perth two years later but gave it away in 1906 to play for the Perth Football Club
Perth Football Club
The Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club plays its matches at Lathlain Park.-History:...
in the West Australian Football Association
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
. Chamberlain did however play cricket in the summer and played one first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match for Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
against New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
in March 1907.
In 1908 he signed with the Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
in the South Australian Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
. Playing as a forward, Chamberlain kicked 30 goals to top his club's goalkicking and fall just three short of league leader J. Mathieson from Port Adelaide. He participated in the 1908 Challenge Final, which Norwood lost narrowly, and represented South Australia in that year's Melbourne Carnival
1908 Melbourne Carnival
The 1908 Melbourne Carnival was the inaugural Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was known at the time as the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival as it commemorated 50 years of Australian rules football.-Teams:The Victorian team was...
.
Chamberlain played for Norwood initially in 1909 but during the year was relocated to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, through his work with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company. While in Singapore he played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and represented the Crown colony in fixtures again the Malay State. He also played for the Straits Settlements cricket team
Straits Settlements cricket team
The Straits Settlements cricket team was the team that represented the Straits Settlements in international cricket matches between 1890 and 1940.-History:...
, appearing in four matches against the Federated Malay States
Federated Malay States cricket team
The Federated Malay States cricket team was a team that represented the Federated Malay States in international cricket matches between 1905 and 1940. Cricket has been played in Peninsular Malaysia since the 1880s, and the Federated Malay States usually combined with the Straits Settlements cricket...
between 1910 and 1913. In 1914, while on leave, Chamberplain played again with Norwood.
Two brothers, Cornelius
Cornelius Chamberlain
Cornelius "Con" Chamberlain was an Australian first-class cricketer who played for South Australia.Chamberlain, who was born in Ireland, made his first-class debut in the 1905/06 season. He appeared in two matches against Western Australia at the WACA Ground and Fremantle Oval...
and Leonard
Leonard Chamberlain
William Leonard "Len" Chamberlain was an Australian first-class cricketer who played Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia...
, were also gifted sportsmen. They played league football with Norwood and first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for South Australian
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
.