Robert Nash (Australian rules footballer)

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Robert Nash
Personal information
Birth 22 April 1884,
Recruited from Northcote
Playing career¹
Debut 1904, Collingwood vs. Fitzroy, at Victoria Park
Team(s) Collingwood (1904-1909)
  • 88 games, 14 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 1909 season
Career highlights

  • Collingwood Captain 1908-1909
  • Represented Victoria 1908

Robert Nash (22 April 1884 - ?) was a former leading Australian rules footballer who captained Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and captain coached Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Nash is best known as the father of Test cricketer and leading footballer Laurie Nash[1].

Born in Melbourne, Nash played for VFA club Northcote until his recruitment by Collingwood in 1904. Nash became a leading player at Collingwood, playing 88 games and kicking 14 goals in six seasons[2]. Regarded as a powerful player who was a good mark and kick[3], he captained Collingwood in 1908 and 1909 and represented Victoria at the first interstate carnival in Melbourne in 1908[4].

After leaving Collingwood at the end of the 1910 season, Nash spent two years as captain-coach of VFA side Footscray before retiring at the end of 1912[5].

Nash was a policeman, and went on strike in 1923 for better pay. He was dismissed from the force as a result[6] and instead moved his family to Tasmania to run the hotel at Parattah. There he oversaw Laurie's sporting development and initially encouraged Laurie to concentrate on cricket rather than football[7], and then refused to allow Laurie to play senior football until age 19[1].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Wallish E.A. (1998) The Great Laurie Nash, Ryan Publishing, Melbourne. ISBN 0-9587059-6-8.
  2. ^ stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/B/Bob_Nash.html Accessed 10 April 2008
  3. ^ Full Points Footy http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/n-o.htm#Robert%20Nash%20(Northcote,%20Collingwood,%20Footscray) Accessed 9 April 2008.
  4. ^ Collingwood Football Club wesite http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/Season2008/News1/NewsArticle/tabid/5586/Default.aspx?newsId=55935 Accessed 9 April 2008.
  5. ^ Full Points Footy http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/n-o.htm#Robert%20Nash%20(Northcote,%20Collingwood,%20Footscray) Accessed 9 April 2008.
  6. ^ Flanigan, M. (1998) "Laurie Nash - The Genius", The Age, 5 May 1998
  7. ^ Main, J. & Holmesby, R. (2005) Encyclopedia of AFL Football Players AFL Publishing (2005) ISBN 1-920910-38-7