Reginald Francis Coyle (born 1 August 1917) is a former 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 South Melbourne 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) in the 1930s and 40s.

Born in South Melbourne, Victoria

South Melbourne, Victoria

South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...

, Coyle was recruited from local club South Melbourne YCW and made his VFL debut for South Melbourne against Carlton at the Lake Oval in Round 12 1937.

A wingman, Coyle had played 53 senior games by the end of the 1941 season, and polled votes in the 1940 and 1941 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...

 counts but interrupted his career when he enlisted in the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

on 18 July 1942. Coyle had gained the rank of Corporal by his discharge on 28 March 1945.

Following his discharge, Coyle returned to South Melbourne where he played a further nine games before retiring.