Ambrose Palmer

Ambrose Palmer
Personal information
Date of birth1910 or 1911 (see note)
Date of death16 October 1990
Original teamRiverside
Height/Weight178 cm / 82 kg
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1933–1943Footscray83 (44)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 1943 season.

Ambrose Palmer (1910 or 1911 – 16 October 1990) was a leading Australian rules footballer of the 1930s and early 1940s and professional boxer.

Palmer made his debut as a rover for Victorian Football League (VFL) club Footscray in the 1933 VFL season, eventually playing 83 matches for Footscray before his retirement in 1943.

Palmer also boxed professionally, winning 57 bouts during his career from 1930 and held at various times the Australian middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight boxing titles. He was managed by Hugh D. McIntosh[1]

In Round One of the 1939 VFL season, Footscray were playing Essendon Football Club and Palmer was sandwiched between two Essendon players, suffering sixteen jaw, cheekbone and skull fractures. For a while the injuries were thought to be life-threatening, but Palmer eventually recovered to play further matches for Footscray.[2]

He later became a boxing trainer, notably for Jack Johnson[3] and Johnny Famechon.[4] and Len Dittmar.[5] He was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.[6]

Note that many reputable sources among those below give his birthdate as either 16 October 1910 or 19 September 1911.

References

  1. ↑ "Hugh D. McIntosh 3". Liveperformance.com.au. 1942-02-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, p. 160.
  3. ↑ The Argus 15 February 1945
  4. ↑ Johnny Famechon Hall of Fame profile
  5. ↑ http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/death-of-sa-boxing-legend/story-e6frecj3-1111113185361
  6. ↑ "Ambrose Palmer - Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2014-05-02.

Sources

External links