Samuel Tremayne "Sam" StiveyThere are several sources, mostly dating from around his time as a boxer, which give his full name as "Alexander G. Stivey". His obituary and war service records both record his name as "Samuel Tremayne Stivey". (15 March 1881– 21 March 1943) was an Australian soldier and sportsman. He played and umpired

Umpire (Australian rules football)

An umpire is an official in the sport of Australian rules football.-Origins:Unlike many other codes of football, where the official is called a referee, in Australian Football, the officials borrow their title from the game of cricket, which is played on the same types of fields and 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...

 at senior level in two states of Australia, as well as being a noted boxer.

Early life

Stivey was born in Port Melbourne in 1881. He emigrated to the goldfields of Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

 during the Western Australian gold rush

Western Australian gold rush

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, discoveries of gold at a number of locations in Western Australia caused large influxes of prospectors from overseas and interstate, and classic gold rushes. Significant finds included:...

 in the late 19th century.

Goldfields

Stivey played football for Boulder City in the Goldfields Football Association

Goldfields Football League

The Goldfields Football League is a regional Australian football league based in the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia. Originally founded in 1896 as Hannans District Football Association, the league enjoyed a seat and full voting rights on the Australian National Football Council until 1919...

 (GFA). He was also a noted umpire

Umpire (Australian rules football)

An umpire is an official in the sport of Australian rules football.-Origins:Unlike many other codes of football, where the official is called a referee, in Australian Football, the officials borrow their title from the game of cricket, which is played on the same types of fields and was an...

. Dave Strickland considered him "the best adjudicator of our national game with the exception of Ivo Crapp". He umpired several GFA grand final

Grand Final

Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...

s, as well as the 1905 West Australian State Premiership

West Australian State Premiership

The West Australian State PremiershipSeveral different names were used in contemporary sources for the matches, including "state premiership", "state championship" and "the football championship"...

, between Railways

Railways Football Club

The Railways Football Club, Albany have been around since the early parts of the 20th century. They also a while ago been called the East Albany Railways and the Albany Railways...

 and . Stivey was at the centre of a controversy in October 1905, when, despite being considered the best umpire in the league at the time, he was passed over for the final match of the season, between Railways and Mines Rovers, in favour of another umpire, who allegedly favoured Railways during the match. Allegations were made by Mines Rovers players that "Railways had bought the premiership", although no action was taken by the league.

Victoria

Stivey moved back to Victoria for the 1902 season, where he represented 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) and Port Melbourne

Port Melbourne Football Club

The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League ....

 in the Victorian Football Association

Victorian Football League

The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...

 (VFA). He played two matches for Carlton, making his debut in the last round of the 1902 VFL season

1902 VFL season

Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1902.-Premiership season:In 1902, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume...

, against at Princes Park.

Military career

Stivey enlisted for active service at the beginning of the First World War in 1914, but was considered too old, and was restricted to home duties. He joined the supply section of the Medical Corps, and was made a Staff Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...

. During the final months of the war, he was transferred to the Corps Sea Transport division, sailing to England with a convoy.