Roy Park (sportsman)

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Roy Park

Personal information
Birth	April 26, 1890(1890-04-26), Charlton, Victoria
Recruited from
Death	January 23, 1947, Middle Park, Victoria
Playing career¹
Debut	, vs. , at
Team(s)	University (1912-14) 44 Games, 111 Goals Melbourne (1915) 13 Games, 35 Goals
¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season
Career highlights
leading goalkicker 1912, 1913, 1914

Roy Lindsay Park (born July 30, 1892, Charlton, Victoria, died January 23, 1947, Middle Park, Victoria) was an all-round athlete and doctor. He played both cricket for Australia and also AFL/VFL football.

[edit] Football career

Park started his career as a goal-kicking machine for University when the years were too late for a revival. He made his debut in 1912 and had an immediate impact, winning the leading goalkicker award for the side, but it was the next season where he stood up, kicking 53 goals, and beaten by Fitzroy's Jimmy Freake who in the finals overtook Park as the VFL's Leading Goalkicker, only because University came last, and not to play in the finals. He had studying commitments in 1914, leaving him to play few games, but still managed to kick 36 goals for the season that was University's last in the competition. In 1915 he went to play with Melbourne, where he kicked 35 goals in 13 games, but he was suspended for 3 matches for striking, despite three witnesses coming forward to say that Park had not hit the player at all. Park would never play football since his suspension as he refused to, ending his career with 146 goals in 57 matches.

Roy Park Australia (AUS)
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling type	Off-spin
	Tests	First-class
Matches	1	36
Runs scored	0	2514
Batting average	0.00	39.28
100s/50s	0/0	9/10
Top score	0	228
Balls bowled	6	226
Wickets	0	3
Bowling average	-	46.33
5 wickets in innings	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	0
Best bowling	-	1/15
Catches/stumpings	0/0	13/0
Test debut: 31 December 1920 Last Test: 31 December 1920 Source: [1]

[edit] Cricket career

Park became a cricketer after his football career, notching up some fine performances as a right-handed batsman for Victoria, and soon earned a Test call-up in the 1920–21 season. He was unsuccessful in his debut against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, making a first-ball duck in his only innings, and bowling a single over of off-spinners which went for 9 runs. He was said to have been called late during the night for medical duties, and not to have got any sleep before his debut. He never played Test cricket again. Unfortunately his wife, who was watching in the stands, missed his entire test batting career. She dropped her knitting as he prepared to face his first ball, bent down to retrieve it and missed the fateful delivery.

At first-class level, he made 2514 runs at an average of just under 40, scoring 9 centuries, with a highest score of 228.

[edit] References

• Cricinfo page on Roy Park
• Brydon Coverdale, "Australia's Winter Allrounders: XI Test Cricketers who played Australian Rules football at the highest level", Cricinfo, 28 May 2007
• AFL Statistics: Roy Park