George Smeaton (footballer)

George Smeaton
Personal information
Date of birth27 May 1917
Place of birthCarlton, Victoria
Date of death9 June 1978 (aged 61)
Original teamBrighton Street School
Height/Weight183 cm / 85.5 kg
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1935–1946Richmond149 (36)
Representative team honours
YearsTeamGames (Goals)
Victoria1
Coaching career
YearsClubGames (W–L–D)
1948-1954Oakleigh (VFA)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 1946 season.
Career highlights
  • Richmond life membership 1944

George Smeaton (27 May 1917 – 9 June 1978)[1][2] was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1935 and 1942 and then again from 1944 to 1946.

Smeaton was nicknamed the "Brown Bomber", a nickname borrowed from Joe Louis, and was described by Jack Dyer as the toughest player he played with.[3]

He later had a successful coaching career in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) where he led Oakleigh to three Grand Finals, winning premierships in 1950 and 1952 and losing the 1949 Grand Final due to a late goal by Williamstown.

He was also an established cricketer captaining the Victorian school boys cricket team.

References

  1. "Football Loses Four Identities". Football Record (Round 12): 13. 24 June 1978.
  2. "George Smeaton - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  3. Flanagan, Martin (30 October 2010). "Richo has never changed... thankfully". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2014.

External links