John Francis (Australian sportsman)
Encyclopedia
John 'Jack' Charles Francis (22 June 1908 – 6 July 2001) was an Australian sportsman who played first-class cricket
for Victoria
and Australian rules football
with Hawthorn
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
Born in Hawthorn and educated at Melbourne High School, Francis began his sporting career in 1926 when he joined the VFL. He played six games for Hawthorn that year, kicking two goals in his debut, against Collingwood, for whom future club great Harry Collier
was also debuting. Francis didn't continue as a footballer, instead concentrating on cricket, and in the 1932/33 season made his first appearance with Victoria. Opening the batting, Francis scored 135 to help the Victorians draw with Tasmania. He played two further first-class matches, both later in the season and as an opener, but didn't make any major contributions for his team.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
and Australian rules football
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...
with Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
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).
Born in Hawthorn and educated at Melbourne High School, Francis began his sporting career in 1926 when he joined the VFL. He played six games for Hawthorn that year, kicking two goals in his debut, against Collingwood, for whom future club great Harry Collier
Harry Collier
Harry Collier was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.-Playing career:Originally from Ivanhoe, Victoria, Collier played for the Collingwood Football Club, debuting in 1926...
was also debuting. Francis didn't continue as a footballer, instead concentrating on cricket, and in the 1932/33 season made his first appearance with Victoria. Opening the batting, Francis scored 135 to help the Victorians draw with Tasmania. He played two further first-class matches, both later in the season and as an opener, but didn't make any major contributions for his team.