Verdun John Howell 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 in the VFL (now AFL).

Howell made his VFL debut with the St Kilda Football Club in 1958 after being signed from Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

 in 1953. He initially played on the half forward line, then later as a half back before playing with the Saints as a full back. Later in his career he spent some time in the forward line, once kicking nine goals against Hawthorn

Hawthorn Football Club

The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...

. He was vice captain to Darrel Baldock

Darrel Baldock

Darrel John Baldock , commonly nicknamed "The Doc" and "Mr Magic", was an Australian rules football player and state politician who in 1966 was the first captain of a premiership-winning St Kilda Football Club. Baldock was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as a "Legend"...

for several seasons.

Howell was inducted to the Saints' inaugural Hall of Fame in 2003. He played 159 games and kicked 55 goals.