Tom Quinn (Australian footballer)
Encyclopedia
Tom "Tommy" Quinn was a leading Australian rules football
er of the 1920s and 1930s, playing for Port Adelaide Football Club
and Geelong Football Club
.
Born in Birkenhead, South Australia
, the son of former Port Adelaide captain Jack Quinn and the older brother of dual Magarey Medal
list Bob
, Quinn showed aptitude for football from a young age, and standing 170 cm tall and built like a tank, Quinn made his South Australian National Football League
(SANFL) debut for Port as a rover in 1928. Quinn immediately made his mark, becoming a key member of the 1928 Port premiership team. Quinn played 59 matches for Port in three seasons plus six for South Australia
before finding himself unemployed in the wake of the Great Depression
.
Quinn had attracted interest from Victorian Football League
(VFL) clubs at the 1930 interstate Australian rules football carnival with his performances for South Australia
, and when Geelong offered Quinn employment with the Ford Motor Company
, a club sponsor, as a machine operator, Quinn leapt at the opportunity and transferred to Geelong for the 1931 season. Gaining the nickname "Maggie" for his Port Adelaide heritage, Quinn immediately proved a success in the VFL, being a key player in Geelong's 1931 premiership team and became a firm favorite with Geelong fans.
Quinn won Geelong's best and fairest awards in 1936 and 1937 and was appointed club vice-captain for the 1937 season, captaining Geelong for seven matches when captain Reg Hickey
was injured. Quinn capped off 1937 with a best on ground performance in Geelong's 1937 Grand Final win, gaining 31 possessions and six marks in a performance considered "completely error free".
Quinn retired early in the 1940 season after having been dropped to the reserves. He had played 168 games for Geelong, kicking 169 goals. In 1946 Quinn was appointed coach of Geelong but was sacked from the position at the end of the 1948 season after failing to raise Geelong above 7th place.
In 2001 Quinn was selected as an Emergency in Geelong's official 'Team of the Century'.
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 of the 1920s and 1930s, playing for Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
and Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
.
Born in Birkenhead, South Australia
Birkenhead, South Australia
Birkenhead is a north-western suburb of Adelaide 14 km from the CBD, on the Lefevre Peninsula, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Peterhead, Exeter and Glanville...
, the son of former Port Adelaide captain Jack Quinn and the older brother of dual Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
list Bob
Bob Quinn (Australian footballer)
Robert Berrima Quinn MM was a champion Australian rules footballer with Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and war hero.-Biography:...
, Quinn showed aptitude for football from a young age, and standing 170 cm tall and built like a tank, Quinn made his South Australian National 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....
(SANFL) debut for Port as a rover in 1928. Quinn immediately made his mark, becoming a key member of the 1928 Port premiership team. Quinn played 59 matches for Port in three seasons plus six for South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
before finding himself unemployed in the wake of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Quinn had attracted interest from 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) clubs at the 1930 interstate Australian rules football carnival with his performances for South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and when Geelong offered Quinn employment with the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, a club sponsor, as a machine operator, Quinn leapt at the opportunity and transferred to Geelong for the 1931 season. Gaining the nickname "Maggie" for his Port Adelaide heritage, Quinn immediately proved a success in the VFL, being a key player in Geelong's 1931 premiership team and became a firm favorite with Geelong fans.
Quinn won Geelong's best and fairest awards in 1936 and 1937 and was appointed club vice-captain for the 1937 season, captaining Geelong for seven matches when captain Reg Hickey
Reg Hickey
Reg Hickey was a player, and later coach, of the Geelong Football Club. Between 1926 and 1959 he led the club to four premierships....
was injured. Quinn capped off 1937 with a best on ground performance in Geelong's 1937 Grand Final win, gaining 31 possessions and six marks in a performance considered "completely error free".
Quinn retired early in the 1940 season after having been dropped to the reserves. He had played 168 games for Geelong, kicking 169 goals. In 1946 Quinn was appointed coach of Geelong but was sacked from the position at the end of the 1948 season after failing to raise Geelong above 7th place.
In 2001 Quinn was selected as an Emergency in Geelong's official 'Team of the Century'.