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"Albert the Great" Thurgood (1874-1927)

Albert John "The Great" Thurgood (11 January 1874 – 8 May 1927) was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football Association, Victorian Football League and the Western Australian Football Association.

He was no mere footballer but is considered to be the first champion player of the VFL , winning the Champion of the Colony award three times.^[1] He usually played at centre-half-forward, but his versatility enabled him to be switched to any position on the ground.

Early life

Born on January 11, 1874 at Errol Street, North Melbourne, to John Thurgood, a builder and Amelia, née Buckland. After his education at Brighton Grammar School, he joined the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football Association.

Football career

VFA

Thurgood played for Essendon in the VFA (1892-94) during its run of four successive premierships (1891-94).

At six feet tall (182 cm) and twelve stone (76.2 kg), Thurgood possessed qualities that made him a versatile key position player: extraordinarily fast, a superb mark, and as nimble and agile as a hare.

His greatest asset was his kicking.

Usually playing at centre half-forward, he could regularly punt-kick over 80 yards (73.1m) and drop-kick over 90 yards (82.3m).^[2]

One slightly wind assisted place-kick by Thurgood, measured at practice at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground on 22 June 1899, travelled 107yds 2ft 1in (98.48m); another, measured at practice at the same venue on 27 August 1901, that was not wind assisted, travelled 101yds (92.35m). In an actual match, Essendon vs. Carlton at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground in August 1893, he kicked a place-kick that travelled 104yds 2ft (95.71m).^[3]

During an era of low scoring games, he became the first player to kick more than 50 goals in a season (1892) and in one game against the hapless Richmond in 1893 scored twelve of the team's fourteen goals.

Although records of the time are somewhat unreliable, it is believed that he played a total of 163 VFA games for Essendon and kicked 625 goals.^[4]

Western Australia

In 1895 he left Essendon to seek work in Western Australia and played for the original Fremantle Football Club (not connected to the current club of the same name) in the Western Australian Football Association (WAFA). During his stint there he topped the WAFA goal kicking list on three consecutive occasions between 1895 and 1897, helping the side lift premierships in the first two of those years.

VFL

He returned to Essendon in 1898 in the newly formed Victorian Football League (VFL later AFL) heading the goalkicking list in 1900 (25) and 1902 (33).^[5] While contemporaries noted that Thurgood was slower, heavier and less keen, he produced his finest performance in the 1901 VFL Grand Final against arch-rival Collingwood when he kicked three of the side's six goals and was a major contributor to Essendon's victory. The same year he was voted Champion of the Colony for the third time and won Essendon's best and fairest award.^[5]

In 1902 there were widespread allegations that he had 'laid down' against Collingwood in the challenge final, which Essendon lost by the heavy margin for the time of 33 points. In disgust, Thurgood demanded, and was refused, a clearance to the Magpies, whereupon he decided to retire. He was tempted back to Essendon four years later, but after playing 8 games he was forced to retire permanently when he sustained a serious ankle injury.

Other

Thurgood married Ida Alma Mary Thomas at Fairfield on 26 April 1899.

He was a better than average cricketer and golfer. After his retirement from football Thurgood became active in horse-racing, for some years as a bookmaker and subsequently as an owner. He ran a number of successful horses, including Amazonia which won the Bagot Handicap in 1921 and was placed third in the Melbourne Cup that year.

Albert Thurgood died in 1927 as the result of a car accident and was buried with Anglican rites in Brighton cemetery. His wife and two daughters survived him.

In 1996 Thurgood was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He was named in the Essendon Team of the Century which was selected in their VFL/AFL centenary year of 1997. In 2004 he was inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame.

He is also a relative of former Hawthorn player Josh Thurgood. Albert is Josh's Great, Great Uncle.

Career highlights

Playing career:

• Essendon (VFA) 1892-94 (Games: 163 Goals: 625)
• Essendon (VFL) 1899-1902, 1906 (Games: 46 Goals: 89)
• Fremantle (WAFA) 1895-1898 (Games: 48 Goals: 128)

Player honors:

• VFL Leading goalkicker 1900 - 25 goals (equal)
• Essendon Best & Fairest 1901^[5]
• Essendon leading goalkicker 1900, 1902^[5]
• "Champion of the Colony" 1893, 1894, 1901^[1]
• WAFA Leading goalkicker 1895, 1896, 1897
• Essendon "Team of the Century" (1997)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Lovett, Michael, ed (2005). AFL Record Guide to Season 2005. Melbourne, Victoria: AFL Publishing. p. 486. ISBN 0-9580300-6-5.  
2. ^ Holmesby, G & Main, J., "The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers" (1998).
3. ^ Long Kicks
4. ^ Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 126. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X.  
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Lovett, Michael, ed (2005). AFL Record Guide to Season 2005. Melbourne, Victoria: AFL Publishing. p. 111. ISBN 0-9580300-6-5.  

External links

• Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Full Points Footy Bio
• AFL: Hall of Fame
• Albert John 'The Great' Thurgood (1874-1927) Gravesite at Brighton General Cemetery (Vic)