Geoff Tunbridge
Encyclopedia
Geoff Tunbridge was an Australian rules football
er for the Melbourne Football Club
(the Demons). At the age of 25, Tunbridge was recruited to Melbourne from Ballarat, where he was an Old Boy, or ex-pupil, and popular teacher at Ballarat Church of England Boys Grammar School (Ballarat & Queens Anglican Grammar School). He originally commenced his footy career for University Blues in VAFA. His jumper was no 23 and he was a red-headed, spearing left-foot flanker. Tunbridge refused on ideological grounds to accept payment from Melbourne Football Club, as he believed that players should play for the love of the game. The only money he did accept was compensation for the cost of petrol, given the long drive between Ballarat and Melbourne (eight pence/year in his Volkswagen). He also accepted a Four 'n' Twenty meat pie half an hour before the game.
Tunbridge earnt a nomination on the forward flank for the Melbourne Team of the Century, but this position was ultimately awarded to Garry Lyon. He played in 3 premierships for Melbourne in the late 1950s, and snapped the winning goal in front of the largest ever home and away crowd in the history of the AFL (a crowd of 99,346 attended the 1958 Melbourne v Collingwood match at the MCG), to give the Demons victory by 3 points.
He taught VCE chemistry at Leibler Yavneh College
in Elsternwick until 2007 amongst other commitments, most notably umpiring the annual Intraschool games held on the college basketball courts.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
(the Demons). At the age of 25, Tunbridge was recruited to Melbourne from Ballarat, where he was an Old Boy, or ex-pupil, and popular teacher at Ballarat Church of England Boys Grammar School (Ballarat & Queens Anglican Grammar School). He originally commenced his footy career for University Blues in VAFA. His jumper was no 23 and he was a red-headed, spearing left-foot flanker. Tunbridge refused on ideological grounds to accept payment from Melbourne Football Club, as he believed that players should play for the love of the game. The only money he did accept was compensation for the cost of petrol, given the long drive between Ballarat and Melbourne (eight pence/year in his Volkswagen). He also accepted a Four 'n' Twenty meat pie half an hour before the game.
Tunbridge earnt a nomination on the forward flank for the Melbourne Team of the Century, but this position was ultimately awarded to Garry Lyon. He played in 3 premierships for Melbourne in the late 1950s, and snapped the winning goal in front of the largest ever home and away crowd in the history of the AFL (a crowd of 99,346 attended the 1958 Melbourne v Collingwood match at the MCG), to give the Demons victory by 3 points.
He taught VCE chemistry at Leibler Yavneh College
Leibler Yavneh College
Leibler Yavneh College is a Jewish day school in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick. The school currently has a capacity to cater for 760 students from 3-year old kindergarten to year 12. The current principal is Roy Steinman.-Brief history:...
in Elsternwick until 2007 amongst other commitments, most notably umpiring the annual Intraschool games held on the college basketball courts.