Bert Beard

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Bert Beard
Personal information
Full name Gilbert Vaughan Beard
Date of birth (1909-07-05)5 July 1909
Place of birth Northam, Western Australia
Date of death 8 November 1983(1983-11-08) (aged 74)
Original team(s) South Fremantle (WANFL)
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 86 kg (190 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1930, 1936 South Fremantle
1932–1935 South Melbourne 36 (19)
1935 Fitzroy 13 0(6)
Total 49 (25)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1935.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Gilbert Vaughan "Bert" Beard (a.k.a. "Blue" Beard; "Bluey" Beard) (5 July 1909 – 8 November 1983) was an Australian rules footballer from Western Australia who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1930s. He also played first-grade cricket for the South Melbourne Cricket Club.[1]

Family[edit]

The son of John Beard (1848-1924),[2][3] and Sarah Beard (1866-1951), née Gibson,[4][5] Gilbert Vaughan Beard was born at Northam, Western Australia on 5 July 1909.

He married Olive Eva Murphy (1909-1961) on 17 August 1935.[6] Their son, Neville played in the West Australian Football League and won the Sandover Medal in 1961.[7]

Football[edit]

He was powerfully built ruckman, and was a fine high mark and a good long kick of the ball.

South Fremantle[edit]

Beard was recruited to South Melbourne from the South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WANFL).

South Melbourne[edit]

He made his VFL debut for South Melbourne in 1932.

He was one of a number of South Melbourne players who were given immediate, long-term, secure, paid employment outside of football within the (137 store) grocery empire of the South Melbourne president, South Melbourne Lord Mayor, and Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Archie Crofts.[8][9] The collection of players recruited from interstate in 1932/1933 become known as South Melbourne's "Foreign Legion".[10]

In 1933, he was 19th man in the club's premiership side; he replaced injured half-back flanker Hugh McLaughlin in the second quarter.

Fitzroy[edit]

He stayed at South Melbourne until the 1935 season when after one game he decided to cross to Fitzroy to play out the season.[11]

South Fremantle[edit]

Accepting the offer of lucrative employment from a West Australian bakery firm, Beard left Melbourne and returned to Perth in March 1936.[12] Once his clearance from Fitzroy had been obtained,[13] He played his first match, in his return season, on 4 July 1936.[14] By early 1937, he had returned to Victoria.[15]

Bairnsdale[edit]

In 1938 he was appointed captain-coach of the Bairnsdale Football Club, in the Gippsland Football League,[16] as a replacement for Fred Gilby who has been appointed elsewhere.[17] Despite Beard's efforts ("For Bairnsdale the most outstanding performers were B. Beard (whose marking was superb), …"), Bairnsdale were defeated by the Maffra Football Club, 13.13 (91) to 10.13 (73).[18]

South Melbourne Districts[edit]

He was appointed captain-coach of the South Melbourne Districts Football Club (in the Sub-District Football League) in 1939.[19]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Hassett Selected for North Match, (Saturday, 26 November 1938), p.1.
  2. ^ Deaths: Beard, The West Australian, (Saturday, 27 December 1924), p.1.
  3. ^ Obituaries: Mr. John Beard, The (Perth) Sunday Times, (Sunday, 11 January 1925), p.3.
  4. ^ Deaths: Beard, The West Australian, (Monday, 10 September 1951), p.1.
  5. ^ The Late Mrs. S. Beard, The Toodyay Herald, (Thursday, 4 October 1951), p.3.
  6. ^ Marriages: Beard—Murphy, The West Australian, (Tuesday, 20 August 1935), p.1.
  7. ^ Where Are They Now? Neville Beard
  8. ^ Faul Championed, The (Perth) Mirror, (Saturday, 9 April 1932), p.5; Manzie, F.K. (Illustrated by Dick Ovenden), "Round the Training Rooms No.4: South Melbourne", Table Talk, Thursday, 22 June 1933), pp.10, 36.
  9. ^ Men Behind the Team: Cr. A. Crofts' Tangible Interest, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 23 April 1932), p.1; Westward Ho!, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 14 January 1933), p.1; S.M.F.C. Social Event at Mt. Evelyn: Footballers from Crofts Stores Defeat Rest of Team, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 21 January 1933), p.2.
  10. ^ The caricature at the foot of page 10 of Table Talk (22 June 1933) was created by Richard "Dick" Ovenden (1897-1972). From left to right those represented are: Jack Bisset, the team’s captain; Dick Mullaly, the club’s secretary; Brighton Diggins, from Subiaco (WAFL); Bert Beard, from South Fremantle (WAFL); Bill Faul, from Subiaco (WAFL); Joe O'Meara, from East Perth (WAFL); Frank Davies, from City (NTFA); Laurie Nash, from City (NTFA); John Bowe, from Subiaco (WAFL); Jack Wade, from Port Adelaide (SANFL); Ossie Bertram, from West Torrens (SANFL); and Wilbur Harris, from West Torrens (SANFL).
  11. ^ Fitzroy Loses Three Men, The Argus, (Saturday, 14 March 1936), p.30.
  12. ^ Bert Beard Bids "Farewell", (Saturday, 14 March 1936), p.4.
  13. ^ Football, The West Australian, (Thursday, 25 June 1936), p.11.
  14. ^ Claremont Meet Souths, The (Perth) Daily News, (Saturday, 4 July 1936), p.2; Close and Rugged, The West Australian, (Monday, 6 July 1936), p.4.
  15. ^ Potter, H., "Football", The (Perth) Daily News, (Thursday, 15 April 1937), p.6.
  16. ^ Bairnsdale Football Team: "Bluey" Beard to Coach, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 11 April 1938), p.3.
  17. ^ Beard for Bairnsdale, The Argus, (Saturday, 9 April 1938), p.14.
  18. ^ Gippsland Football League, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 29 August 1938), p.7.
  19. ^ "Blue" Beard to Coach South Districts, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 18 March 1939), p.3

References[edit]

  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0

External links[edit]

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