Walter Scott (footballer)
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | September 2, 1899 , |
| Recruited from | |
| Death | July 27 1989, |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | 1920, Norwood, SANFL vs. , at |
| Team(s) | Norwood (1920-1932)
|
| Coaching career¹ | |
| Team(s) | Norwood (1926-1931)
West Adelaide |
| ¹ Statistics to end of 2006 season | |
| Career highlights | |
|
|
Walter "Wacka" or "Wat" Scott was a former Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in the early 20th century. Scott was a high marking defender who had a large influence during a very successful part of the Norwood Football Club's history.
Playing his early football in the Adelaide Hills, in 1920 Scott was lured to play in Adelaide as a result of his employment. The three partners of the electrical firm in Adelaide where he worked all played football for Norwood.
His high marking and sound defensive skills immediately drew praise and in his first season he won his new club's best and fairest award.
In his second season he tied with Dan Moriarty of South Adelaide for the 1921 Magarey Medal - the award for the SANFL's "fairest and most brilliant" player. under the rules that applied at that time, the Leagues umpires were called to deliberate and in the event chose to award the medal to Moriarty. Scott went on to win two Magarey Medals in his own right in 1924 and 1930. In 1998 the SANFL retrospectively awarded medals to all players who had tied for the medal but lost on a "count back" or by such adjudication. Thus some 76 years after the event (and posthumously) he acquired his third medal.
In 1922 Norwood won the premiership, the first for Scott. He played in three more premierships with Norwood, including as captain-coach of the 1929 team. He won Norwood's best and fairest award a record six times.
The pinnacle of Scott's playing career occurred in 1930 when he not only won the Magarey Medal, but also captained the South Australian side in that year's interstate carnival. Scott played 38 consecutive matches for his State - an Australian record that stands to this day. He also coached the State side four times.
Sadly he injured his knee severely in the last round match of the 1930 season against Port Adelaide, and he never reached such heights again as a player. He retired as a player in 1932.
Scott coached at four clubs altogether - his beloved Norwood, West Adelaide, Glenelg and Sturt over a total of 12 seasons.
Scott was named at centre half-back in the Norwood team of the century[1].
Scott was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the SANFL Hall of Fame in its first year in 2002.
[edit] References
- Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers, p. 119. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X.
