John Towner
Encyclopedia
John Towner is a former Australian rules footballer who played 87 senior games for the Essendon Football Club from 1953 to 1959.
at the Lake Oval on 2 May 1953. In his first year he played 11 senior matches, including the Firsts Semi-Final team that lost 5.11 (41) to Footscray's
6.13 (49).
He played 16 senior games in 1954, a single game in 1955, 10 games in 1956 (plus 1 night game), 16 games in 1957 (plus 1 night game) — he played on the half-back flank in the losing Essendon Grand Final
team of 1957 — 16 games in 1958 (plus 2 night games), and 17 games in 1959.
His game at full-back for the Essendon 1959 Premiership team, which beat Melbourne
17.13 (115) to 11.12 (78), was his last game for Essendon.
Well-liked at Essendon (he was chosen as Best Clubman in 1957 and 1959), he left Essendon due to an employment transfer to Western Australia.
He played at full-back with West Perth
for three years (1960–1962).
He later moved to Queensland and was captain-coach of Surfers Paradise Football Club in 1965.
Once he was switched to defence, he was highly successful, initially on the half-back flank and, later in his career at Essendon, as the team's regular full-back.
As a full-back, much of his game was centred on his ability to judge and understand the manner in which his full-forward opponent went for the ball; and much of his value to Essendon was his ability to consistently punch the ball out of the hands of a full-forward attempting to mark over his head.
In particular, he always had "the wood" over South Melbourne's Brownlow Medal
list Fred Goldsmith
, holding him goal-less on several occasions; and it was enthralling as a spectator, to see the tussle between the two — in particular, to see the highly skilled full-back-turned-full-forward Goldsmith getting more and more frustrated each time that the fist of the highly skilled full-forward-turned-full-back Towner came between his own outstretched hands and, yet again, punched the ball 20 metres towards the Essendon goals.
Career
Recruited from the Ascot Vale Football Club, Towner made his debut for Essendon Firsts as a reserve in the second home-and-away round match against South MelbourneSydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
at the Lake Oval on 2 May 1953. In his first year he played 11 senior matches, including the Firsts Semi-Final team that lost 5.11 (41) to Footscray's
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
6.13 (49).
He played 16 senior games in 1954, a single game in 1955, 10 games in 1956 (plus 1 night game), 16 games in 1957 (plus 1 night game) — he played on the half-back flank in the losing Essendon Grand Final
1957 VFL Grand Final
The 1957 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 21 September 1957. It was the 61st annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers...
team of 1957 — 16 games in 1958 (plus 2 night games), and 17 games in 1959.
His game at full-back for the Essendon 1959 Premiership team, which beat Melbourne
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....
17.13 (115) to 11.12 (78), was his last game for Essendon.
Well-liked at Essendon (he was chosen as Best Clubman in 1957 and 1959), he left Essendon due to an employment transfer to Western Australia.
He played at full-back with West Perth
West Perth Football Club
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian...
for three years (1960–1962).
He later moved to Queensland and was captain-coach of Surfers Paradise Football Club in 1965.
Forward to back-line
In 1953 and 1954 Towner played on the forward line. With a lot of pace across the ground, and strong in the air, he was tried at full-forward as a replacement for the injured John Coleman in 1954; however, once at full-forward, he demonstrated that he was not a very accurate kick (he kicked 23 goals in 9 matches).Once he was switched to defence, he was highly successful, initially on the half-back flank and, later in his career at Essendon, as the team's regular full-back.
As a full-back, much of his game was centred on his ability to judge and understand the manner in which his full-forward opponent went for the ball; and much of his value to Essendon was his ability to consistently punch the ball out of the hands of a full-forward attempting to mark over his head.
In particular, he always had "the wood" over South Melbourne's 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...
list Fred Goldsmith
Fred Goldsmith (Australian rules footballer)
Fred Goldsmith is a former Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League....
, holding him goal-less on several occasions; and it was enthralling as a spectator, to see the tussle between the two — in particular, to see the highly skilled full-back-turned-full-forward Goldsmith getting more and more frustrated each time that the fist of the highly skilled full-forward-turned-full-back Towner came between his own outstretched hands and, yet again, punched the ball 20 metres towards the Essendon goals.