George P. Anderson
Encyclopedia
George Power "Geordie" Anderson (3 June 1885 – 10 June 1958) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
. He was recruited from the Howlong Football Club in 1911; and, when he first came to Collingwood he was known as "Snowy Martin", due to his similarity to an Essendon player of the same name.
He was unable to play in the first five matches of the 1911 season because his clearance from the New South Wales league was delayed. In the meant time, The Argus was reporting that "Anderson is showing splendid form at practice". He played his first senior game for Collingwood on his 26th birthday (Saturday, 3 June 1911), against Melbourne in round 6 of the 1911 VFL season on the forward line; he kicked one goal. Noting that he was "a player from a rural association", the football correspondent of The Age — who thought that Collingwood full-forward Dick Lee
was quite out of form during the match — remarked that "in the want of lofty markers in the forward division [for Collingwood]… Anderson was the most proficient in this department" and, further, asserting that "[Anderson will undoubtedly prove to be a valuable acquisition to his team".
Anderson played on the forward flank in the Collingwood team for the 1911 VFL Grand Final
. The Collingwood team, carrying two of its champion players — its full-forward and captain, Dick Lee, and its centre half-forward, Dan Minogue
— who had both been badly injured during the match, lost to Essendon
by 6 points.
In 1912, his second season, and the first year that VFL players wore numbers on the back of their guernseys, Anderson's guernsey carried the original number one for Collingwood.
Playing on the half-back flank, he was one of the few consistently good players for the Collingwood team that was soundly beaten by Carlton
11.12 (78) to 6.9 (45) in the 1915 VFL Grand Final
, on 18 September 1915, in what was considered to be a "fast and furious game".
In 1917, Anderson played on the half-back flank for the Collingwood team that defeated Fitzroy
, 9.20 (74) to 5.9 (39), on 22 September 1917, in the 1917 VFL Grand Final
. He was one of Collingwood's best players in the Grand Final. The match was the last senior VFL game for both himself and Jock McHale
, who had played in the back pocket
(McHale continued to coach Collingwood until 1949).
, encouraged by the American boxing referee and manager of the major Melbourne boxing venue, Mr Angelo Marre, came up with the notion of taking two teams of Australian rules footballers (all in all, 45 men) to the Panama–California Exposition (scheduled to begin in San Diego, California in March 1915) to demonstrate Australian rules football. He approached the Victorian Football Association for its support; however, the VFA decided to take no further action until it became clear to them precisely who were associated with Smith's proposal. Smith also approached the Australasian Football Council, which gave him permission to take two teams to the Exposition.
By the second half of the year, Smith had formed a company known as The Australian Football Company. The company representatives met with Frederick William Hagelthorn (1864-1943), who was not only the Victorian Minister for Public Works, but was the Victorian Commissioner to the Panama Exposition; they sought a "small subsidy" towards their expenses, whilst at the Exposition, on the basis that "the men would serve as an admirable advertisement for Australia". Hagelthorn's response was that, whilst their endeavour "had his hearty sympathy", he was unable to grant their request. He promised, however, to see if it was possible to subsidize local advertising for the exhibition games.
Anderson was one of the first players chosen for the exhibition teams; however, due to the commencement of the first Word War
, all of Smith's plans were abandoned, and the proposed exhibition matches never eventuated.
(a suburb of Wagga Wagga) was named Anderson Park in his honour.
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL).
Family
He and his wife, Sarah Ann Anderson (1883-1950), née Carson had three sons and four daughters. He moved to Wagga Wagga from Melbourne in 1919.Football
Anderson played on the half-back flank for most of his career at CollingwoodCollingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
. He was recruited from the Howlong Football Club in 1911; and, when he first came to Collingwood he was known as "Snowy Martin", due to his similarity to an Essendon player of the same name.
He was unable to play in the first five matches of the 1911 season because his clearance from the New South Wales league was delayed. In the meant time, The Argus was reporting that "Anderson is showing splendid form at practice". He played his first senior game for Collingwood on his 26th birthday (Saturday, 3 June 1911), against Melbourne in round 6 of the 1911 VFL season on the forward line; he kicked one goal. Noting that he was "a player from a rural association", the football correspondent of The Age — who thought that Collingwood full-forward Dick Lee
Dick Lee (footballer)
Walter Henry "Dick" Lee was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League ....
was quite out of form during the match — remarked that "in the want of lofty markers in the forward division [for Collingwood]… Anderson was the most proficient in this department" and, further, asserting that "[Anderson will undoubtedly prove to be a valuable acquisition to his team".
Anderson played on the forward flank in the Collingwood team for the 1911 VFL Grand Final
1911 VFL Grand Final
The 1911 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 23 September 1911. It was the 14th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
. The Collingwood team, carrying two of its champion players — its full-forward and captain, Dick Lee, and its centre half-forward, Dan Minogue
Dan Minogue
Daniel 'Dan' Minogue was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Minogue was considered a courageous, or perhaps reckless, centre half-back as epitomised when he sustained a broken collarbone playing for Collingwood Football Club in the first minute of the 1911 Grand Final...
— who had both been badly injured during the match, lost to Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
by 6 points.
In 1912, his second season, and the first year that VFL players wore numbers on the back of their guernseys, Anderson's guernsey carried the original number one for Collingwood.
Playing on the half-back flank, he was one of the few consistently good players for the Collingwood team that was soundly beaten by Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
11.12 (78) to 6.9 (45) in the 1915 VFL Grand Final
1915 VFL Grand Final
The 1915 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 18 September 1915. It was the 18th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
, on 18 September 1915, in what was considered to be a "fast and furious game".
In 1917, Anderson played on the half-back flank for the Collingwood team that defeated Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
, 9.20 (74) to 5.9 (39), on 22 September 1917, in the 1917 VFL Grand Final
1917 VFL Grand Final
The 1917 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 22 September 1917. It was the 20th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
. He was one of Collingwood's best players in the Grand Final. The match was the last senior VFL game for both himself and Jock McHale
Jock McHale
James Francis "Jock" McHale, was an Australian rules football player and coach for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League in a marathon career that extended from 1903 to 1949....
, who had played in the back pocket
Back pocket
In Australian rules football, the back pocket refers to a position on the field deep in defence.Back pocket players, situated in the backline, need to have good spoiling skills and usually, quality back-pockets are noted for their hardness....
(McHale continued to coach Collingwood until 1949).
Exhibition Team
In 1914, former St Kilda player, captain, and coach, James SmithJimmy Smith (Australian footballer)
James 'Jimmy' Smith was an Australian rules footballer who played with and coached St Kilda in the VFL during the early 1900s....
, encouraged by the American boxing referee and manager of the major Melbourne boxing venue, Mr Angelo Marre, came up with the notion of taking two teams of Australian rules footballers (all in all, 45 men) to the Panama–California Exposition (scheduled to begin in San Diego, California in March 1915) to demonstrate Australian rules football. He approached the Victorian Football Association for its support; however, the VFA decided to take no further action until it became clear to them precisely who were associated with Smith's proposal. Smith also approached the Australasian Football Council, which gave him permission to take two teams to the Exposition.
By the second half of the year, Smith had formed a company known as The Australian Football Company. The company representatives met with Frederick William Hagelthorn (1864-1943), who was not only the Victorian Minister for Public Works, but was the Victorian Commissioner to the Panama Exposition; they sought a "small subsidy" towards their expenses, whilst at the Exposition, on the basis that "the men would serve as an admirable advertisement for Australia". Hagelthorn's response was that, whilst their endeavour "had his hearty sympathy", he was unable to grant their request. He promised, however, to see if it was possible to subsidize local advertising for the exhibition games.
Anderson was one of the first players chosen for the exhibition teams; however, due to the commencement of the first Word War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, all of Smith's plans were abandoned, and the proposed exhibition matches never eventuated.
Wagga Wagga
When Anderson moved to Wagga Wagga he played for a time with the Federals Football Club.Record
An hour before the Collingwood team's scheduled match against South Adelaide (the two teams were representing Victoria and South Australia respectively) — the first match of the Australian Rules Football Carnival, run by the Queensland Football League, under the auspices of the Australasian Football Council, at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, on Saturday 8 August 1914 — Anderson won a goal kicking competition. Using a place kick, he kicked the ball 72 yards 6 inches, which still stands today as a Queensland record for a place kick.The rhyming storekeeper
In the area around Wagga Wagga he became renowned for his capacity to write impromptu poems and doggerel verse, on any subject at all, at a moments notice; and was known locally as “the rhyming storekeeper”.Anderson Park
In 1987, the park in Glenfield Road, Mount AustinMount Austin, New South Wales
Mount Austin is an inner southern suburb of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. Its boundaries are Fernleigh Road and Leavenworth Drive to the north and south respectively, whilst Glenfield Road and Willans Hill form the western and eastern extents....
(a suburb of Wagga Wagga) was named Anderson Park in his honour.