VFL/AFL players who died young

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BigRex

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Sep 29, 2010
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I'm doing some research into VFL/AFL players who died young.

I didn't feature several players from pre 1940 when, sometimes players even died during their playing career, or not long after.

Please share your stories and memories.

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In SANFL, there is Scott Field
australian-rules-football.fandom.com

Scott Field

Scott Field is a former footballer for the Sturt Football Club from 1987 to 1992. Field won the P.T Morton Medal in 1992 before leaving the club to continue with university studies. Field died while hiking in Europe in 2014. Field attended Pulteney Grammar and achieved high scores. Field wanted...
australian-rules-football.fandom.com australian-rules-football.fandom.com

David Kantilla, from NT and played in SANFL https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kantilla

Mark Naley was only 59, don't think I saw him on the list, but he may not have fit age criteria.

Brendon Howard was a Sturt player, he died in car accident at age 48.
 
Maurie Sankey was a Tassie boy, who had become Carlton's v-c and had played his 100th game by the time of his passing at the age of 25.

Here's an article I found about him.
www.carltonfc.com.au

Old mates remember Sankey

Today, some 50 years after his tragic death, former Carlton ruckman Maurie Sankey's loss is still deeply felt.
www.carltonfc.com.au www.carltonfc.com.au
 
Mofra said:
Ronnie James, aged 19. Sadly died in a waterskiing accident.

Would have been a superstar. Followed the old school pathway of VFA - VFL.

Ron James (footballer, born 1970) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...

IIRC Ron James at age 19 is the youngest AFL/VFL player to die, unless there were any younger players killed in action in the First or Second World Wars?

Jamie Tape, who died at age 29 in 2003 is one of the bizarre ones - having cancer then going into remission only to several months later have a cardiac episode while driving and die in the ensuing car crash - his time really did seem to be up.

Another eerie case is that of former Dockers and Giants player Cam McCarthy, who died last year. McCarthy's date of birth is 01-Apr-1995 - the same day the Fremantle Dockers made their debut against Richmond at the MCG - and the last Dockers match ever played in his lifetime before he died in May 2024 was Richmond vs Fremantle at the MCG.

There's an odd run with SANFL too, tragedies affecting teams that have broken long premiership droughts. In 1993, two of the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles premiership players - the first for the merged team and the first since West Torrens were premiers in 1953 - were Jamie Tape and Laurence Schache, and both had died within a decade. Central Districts Bulldogs finally broke through for their first premiership in 2000 and their captain was Daniel Hulm, who took a year off in 2001 to live and work in England, a trip he never returned from as he was hit and killed by a train in London in May of that year. Sturt celebrated the end of a premiership drought of 26 years in 2002, but tragically player Josh Deegan and former player and long-term trainer and committee member for the Double Blues Bob Marshall died in the Bali Bombings in October 2002. Port Adelaide won their first AFL premiership in 2004 but two of the assistant coaches - Phil Walsh and Dean Bailey - are no longer with us, while senior coach Mark Williams fought a long battle with cancer. In 2015 Mark Mickan coached the enigmatic West Adelaide to something of a fluke premiership over the Eagles but has since battled Parkinson's Disease.
 

Leigh McCartney, who was South Melbourne's captain and best player for season 1976, died on 10 August 1976 aged 18. He was just voted BOG in a match vs Melbourne and had an accident. He never regained consciousness and died. He played in the same South Under 19s team in 1976 with Terry Daniher. South legend John Heriot was the coach that year and said he would've played in the reserves and seniors in 1977.

Edgar Gunn, Geelong reserves and Under 19s player in 1979, died in a car accident in Parkville on the morning after watching the 1979 Grand Final with mates. Gunn played a few reserves games in 1979 and was a standout in 1979 in the Under 19s. He had just played in Geelong's 1979 Preliminary match vs Fitzroy the week earlier. He was 18.
emuboy said:
IIRC Ron James at age 19 is the youngest AFL/VFL player to die, unless there were any younger players killed in action in the First or Second World Wars?

Jamie Tape, who died at age 29 in 2003 is one of the bizarre ones - having cancer then going into remission only to several months later have a cardiac episode while driving and die in the ensuing car crash - his time really did seem to be up.

Another eerie case is that of former Dockers and Giants player Cam McCarthy, who died last year. McCarthy's date of birth is 01-Apr-1995 - the same day the Fremantle Dockers made their debut against Richmond at the MCG - and the last Dockers match ever played in his lifetime before he died in May 2024 was Richmond vs Fremantle at the MCG.

There's an odd run with SANFL too, tragedies affecting teams that have broken long premiership droughts. In 1993, two of the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles premiership players - the first for the merged team and the first since West Torrens were premiers in 1953 - were Jamie Tape and Laurence Schache, and both had died within a decade. Central Districts Bulldogs finally broke through for their first premiership in 2000 and their captain was Daniel Hulm, who took a year off in 2001 to live and work in England, a trip he never returned from as he was hit and killed by a train in London in May of that year. Sturt celebrated the end of a premiership drought of 26 years in 2002, but tragically player Josh Deegan and former player and long-term trainer and committee member for the Double Blues Bob Marshall died in the Bali Bombings in October 2002. Port Adelaide won their first AFL premiership in 2004 but two of the assistant coaches - Phil Walsh and Dean Bailey - are no longer with us, while senior coach Mark Williams fought a long battle with cancer. In 2015 Mark Mickan coached the enigmatic West Adelaide to something of a fluke premiership over the Eagles but has since battled Parkinson's Disease.
Click to expand...
emuboy said:
"IIRC Ron James at age 19 is the youngest AFL/VFL player to die, unless there were any younger players killed in action in the First or Second World Wars?"

I think Ron James at 19, would be the youngest senior VFL/AFL player to die.
Click to expand...

emuboy said:
IIRC Ron James at age 19 is the youngest AFL/VFL player to die, unless there were any younger players killed in action in the First or Second World Wars?

Jamie Tape, who died at age 29 in 2003 is one of the bizarre ones - having cancer then going into remission only to several months later have a cardiac episode while driving and die in the ensuing car crash - his time really did seem to be up.

Another eerie case is that of former Dockers and Giants player Cam McCarthy, who died last year. McCarthy's date of birth is 01-Apr-1995 - the same day the Fremantle Dockers made their debut against Richmond at the MCG - and the last Dockers match ever played in his lifetime before he died in May 2024 was Richmond vs Fremantle at the MCG.

There's an odd run with SANFL too, tragedies affecting teams that have broken long premiership droughts. In 1993, two of the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles premiership players - the first for the merged team and the first since West Torrens were premiers in 1953 - were Jamie Tape and Laurence Schache, and both had died within a decade. Central Districts Bulldogs finally broke through for their first premiership in 2000 and their captain was Daniel Hulm, who took a year off in 2001 to live and work in England, a trip he never returned from as he was hit and killed by a train in London in May of that year. Sturt celebrated the end of a premiership drought of 26 years in 2002, but tragically player Josh Deegan and former player and long-term trainer and committee member for the Double Blues Bob Marshall died in the Bali Bombings in October 2002. Port Adelaide won their first AFL premiership in 2004 but two of the assistant coaches - Phil Walsh and Dean Bailey - are no longer with us, while senior coach Mark Williams fought a long battle with cancer. In 2015 Mark Mickan coached the enigmatic West Adelaide to something of a fluke premiership over the Eagles but has since battled Parkinson's Disease.
Click to expand...

I think Ron James, at 19 was the youngest VFL/AFL player to die. I didn't check every former VFL player who died during wars but there could be a couple that died aged 19 (or younger).

Leigh McCartney, who was South Melbourne's captain and best player for season 1976, died on 10 August 1976 aged 18. He was just voted BOG in a match vs Melbourne and had an accident. He never regained consciousness and died. He played in the same South Under 19s team in 1976 with Terry Daniher. South legend John Heriot was the coach that year and said he would've played in the reserves and seniors in 1977.

Edgar Gunn, Geelong reserves and Under 19s player in 1979, died in a car accident in Parkville the morning after watching the 1979 Grand Final with mates. Gunn played a few reserves games in 1979 and was a standout in 1979 in the Under 19s. He had just played in Geelong's 1979 Preliminary match vs Fitzroy the week earlier. He was 18.
 
Last edited:

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Syd Barker Snr, ruckman for the 'Invincible' North Melbourne team of the 1910's died when he was only 42. He was a fireman by profession and died while at work, but it's unclear how he passed.

Former Hollywood superstar and North Melbourne player James "Jim" Stewart (the first part may not be true :)) died from appendicitis aged 24.
 
Franc de Borges said:
It’s still not well known after this. Go on.
Click to expand...
You've only got to click on the Wiki link quoted, the first paragraph explains it.

James started his senior career at the age of just 14, when Williamstown coach Terry Wheeler picked him for the 1985 VFA Grand Final, despite having spent the entire season in the Under-19s. The club lost the match by six points but James was a member of their 1986 premiership team.
 
Some of these are really strange causes of death. Like Denis Strauch from Carlton and Port Melbourne who died from tetanus, which one might think would be unusual by 1965. And WTF with Collingwood's Graeme Reichman, who died in a murder-suicide in 2001?
 
Former Eagles rookie Michael Mascoulis died in a car accident at age 20

His mums dog died and he wanted to get another one that was of the same breed. He was on his way to NSW to get a pup for his mum when the accident occurred
 

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VFL/AFL players who died young

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