Least Amount Of games Played In Grand Final

[the croucher]

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179498942 (8 April 1926)

Mr. W. James, the popular player, who is now no longer able to play, was appointed secretary, and Mr. Whitbourne agreed to act as his assistant.

Thanks for all the extra research, and interesting refs.
Has certainly allowed us to form a more rounded view of the W James life and career.

 

[35Daicos]

There's an article in The Herald, Friday 22 April 1921 [coming soon] that should be worth checking on:- the team. Billy James, the little rover, has gone back to Kyabram. There had been expectations that ...

Quoting myself here, which is a bit of a worry! This story is now available to read, sadly it has nothing more to offer on Billy James, but goes on to talk about another James who wanted to play for Richmond. Never mind!

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242492403 (22 April 1921)

Billy James, the little rover, has gone back to Kyabram. There had been expectations that there would be another James in the field, for St. Kilda had granted a clearance to J. James to Richmond. But the Umpire and Permit Committee last Wednesday refused him a permit.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

Thanks for all the extra research, and interesting refs.
Has certainly allowed us to form a more rounded view of the W James life and career.

A job well done, guys. It's been enjoyable following the progress of this thread and seeing this myth busted.

 

[Wallaby]

Renowned historian and novelist Len Deighton wrote this:

"There was a time when I believed history was self-rectifying. I believed that, no matter how distorted the accounts of news and current affairs, in the course of time a more truthful and useful consensus would emerge. Now I know better. In fact it is the myths and fabrications that endure and become each nation's historical reference".

Of course, he was writing about WW2, rather than something as trivial as a game of football. Nevertheless, this leads us to:

Billy James. 1 game, 1 kick, 1 goal, 1 premiership. Shot in foot. Never played again.

 

[35Daicos]

I just spotted this story (from 2014) and since it makes for "fun reading" thought I may as well throw it in!:-

SOME OF THE ONE-GAMERS:

Richmond’s WILLIAM “BILLY’’ JAMES could be football’s most amazing story, winning a premiership in his only VFL game for Richmond in 1920.

“Billy James it the most unique story in the AFL,’’ says Tigers historian Bill Meaklim.

“Kyabram won the midweek premiership and our full forward was injured and I cannot comprehend why you would pull someone from the country.

“I can’t believe there wasn’t someone on our list to play, but he played and kicked the sealing goal.

“None of it makes any sense. There is no logic. But he never played again. He went back to Kyabram between seasons and was out rabbiting and pulled up the wire on a fence to squeeze into the next paddock and shot his toe off. It stopped him from playing again but you can’t comprehend him playing.

“He virtually came down on horse and buggy. It just makes you laugh when you think about it. It’s nearly a joke how it all happened.”

Tigers curator Roland Weekes believes the club had already arranged for 60kg rover James to play the next year, and expedited his arrival.

Whatever the circumstances, it is truly a remarkable story and one unequalled across VFL-AFL history.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...d/news-story/6b843c4d56e6e6334887bf9e31858ae3

 

[Procrastinator35]

Renowned historian and novelist Len Deighton wrote this:

"There was a time when I believed history was self-rectifying. I believed that, no matter how distorted the accounts of news and current affairs, in the course of time a more truthful and useful consensus would emerge. Now I know better. In fact it is the myths and fabrications that endure and become each nation's historical reference".

Of course, he was writing about WW2, rather than something as trivial as a game of football. Nevertheless, this leads us to:

Billy James. 1 game, 1 kick, 1 goal, 1 premiership. Shot in foot. Never played again.

Be interesting to discover whether or not this was the etymology for the metaphor of "To shoot oneself in the foot/y."

 

[rbartlett]

A job well done, guys. It's been enjoyable following the progress of this thread and seeing this myth busted.

I've tweeted about the details.
The AFL may pick it up and run a small story, and I've asked them to credited those here on the history thread in BF.

 

[rbartlett]

AFL has now run a story about the Bill James find.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-11/legendary-grand-final-story-shot-down-as-myth

 

[35Daicos]

There's a good story in the 2015 Grand Final Record about Bill James. It includes the same list of 5 players who made their debut in a Grand Final that the AFL "year book" has.

However, any other sources (apart from the AFL's own) I've looked at call the Melbourne player "Francis" instead of "Fred" Vine, as do the newspaper articles (from his playing days) I've seen on Trove. e.g.:- http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183739492

The article also has Keith Batchelor as having 21 career games (the book has the same figure), but he played 21 for both Collingwood and North Melbourne, so I'd say they need to correct that.

I'm pleased to see after checking the relevant section of the 2018 Season Guide that they have fixed Keith Batchelor's career games tally, and now have the Melbourne player as Frank Vine (instead of Fred).

 

[Leeda]

Aaron Keating (brother of Clark Keating) played in the 1997 GF for Adelaide in his 3rd AFL match. Played in a SANFL Premiership for Norwood the week after too (along with fellow Crows premiership player Brett James). Only played in three more AFL games in 1998.

nice but not enough.. they need to be shattering records.. are they doing so..

 

[Todman]

here's a few more:

Vin Cattoggio 1973 debut in the grand final.

All played more than 100 games
Travis Payze, St Kilda 1966 3rd game
Stephen McCann, North Melbourne 1977 5th game
Kevin Rose, Collingwood 1958 5th game
Frank Davis, Melbourne 1964 6th game
Cameron Clayton, Richmond 1974 8th game
Noel Jarvis, Fitzroy 1944 9th game
Allan Davis, St Kilda 1966 10th game
Jarryd Blair, Collingwood 2010 12th game

 

[Engimal v3]

It will be interesting to see how Jack Graham adapts after last season.

In the AFL he has only played 5 games, all of them ending in pretty comfortable wins. Yes, that includes a qualifying final, preliminary final, and a grand final. In which every game he showed his worth. Including kicking 3 goals in the grand final and carrying the cup into the change rooms.

This is not a post about how wonderful a player is or pumping up a team, I think it will be genuinely worth taking note about how his career unfolds after having the ultimate prize after 5 games at 19 years of age.

I remember Boomer was saying that, after winning '99 at a young age, he sort of assumed that more were coming, and that it really ate at him years later when he'd spent 15+ years playing without another one