Bob Spargo
Personal information
Full name Robert Henry Spargo
Date of birth (1913-07-07)7 July 1913
Place of birth South Dudley, Victoria
Date of death 14 May 1994(1994-05-14) (aged 80)
Place of death Wonthaggi, Victoria
Original team(s) Riverside (FDFL)
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 69 kg (152 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1934–41 Footscray 65 (6)
1941 Williamstown (VFA)   9 (0)
1942 Melbourne   2 (0)
1941 Prahran (VFA) 19 (3)
Total 95 (9)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1942.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Robert Henry Spargo (7 July 1913 – 14 May 1994) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]

Family

The son of Luke Spargo (1878-1944), and Rena Ann Spargo (1891-1980), née McHenry, Robert Henry Spargo was born at South Dudley, Victoria on 7 July 1913.

He married Dorothy Annie "Dot" White (1913–2016) in 1938. Spargo's two sons Bob Jr and Ricky also both played for Footscray Football Club. His grandson Paul played for North Melbourne and the Brisbane Bears and great-grandson Charlie plays for Melbourne Football Club.[2]

Football

As a schoolboy, he played for the Wonthaggi Technical School team, alongside Fred Backway and Bernie Guthrie.[3]

Footscray (VFL)

Recruited from the Riverside Football Club in the Footscray Football League (FDFL), he played 65 senior games, and scored 6 goals, in his eight seasons with Footscray.[4] During that time he also represented Victoria.[5][6]

Essendon (VFL)

Having already begun training with Essendon,[7][8] he was cleared from Footscray to Essendon on 5 June 1941.[9] He played three matches for the Essendon Second XVIII (on 14 June, 21 June, and 27 June); and, without having played in the First XVIII, he applied for a clearance to Williamstown.[10]

Williamstown (VFA)

Cleared from Essendon on 2 July 1941,[11] he played his first match for Williamstown, against Yarraville, on 5 July 1941.[12] He played in all of the 1941 season's remaining home-and-away: a total of 9 senior matches.

Melbourne (VFL)

Cleared from Williamstown on 13 May 1942,[13] he played in two senior matches for Melbourne (16 May and 23 May 1942).

Prahran (VFA)

Cleared from Williamstown to Prahran on 11 April 1945,[14] he played in the first 19 (of 20) home-and-away matches in the 1945 season. He injured his foot in the 1 September 1945 match against Brighton, and could not play in the last match of the season against Camberwell.

Athlete

Employed as a fireman, Spargo was an accomplished professional athlete who was placed 3rd in both the 1936 and 1940 Stawell Gift finals.[15] In 1936 he was 3rd off 9¾yds to Roy McCann and in 1940 he was 3rd off 8yds to Alex Reid.

Death

He died at Wonthaggi, Victoria on 14 May 1994.

Notes

  1. ↑ Holmesby & Main (2009), p.786.
  2. ↑ "Four-gen footy family: Young Dee to make history". AFL NSW / ACT. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Footscray Find, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 15 September 1934), p.7.
  4. ↑ Spargo's Plans: Fitzroy Sounded, The Age, (Wednesday, 11 May 1938), p.9.
  5. ↑ Interstate Football, The West Australian, (Wednesday, 26 June 1935), p.21.
  6. ↑ South Australia Outclassed In Football Match, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Monday, 1 July 1935), p.9.
  7. ↑ Spargo for Dons, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 21 May 1941), p.11.
  8. ↑ Taylor, Percy, "Many Changes in Teams: Essendon", The Argus, (Friday, 6 June 1941), p.14.
  9. ↑ League Permits, The Age, (Thursday, 5 June 1941), p.4.
  10. ↑ Association Notes: Williamstown, The Argus, (Wednesday, 2 July 1941), p.10.
  11. ↑ V.F.L. Permits, The Age, (Thursday, 3 July 1941), p.3.
  12. ↑ Association in Wet, The Argus, (Monday, 7 July 1941), p.8.
  13. ↑ Thirty V.F.A. Players Transfer to League, The Age, (Thursday, 14 May 1942), p.4.
  14. ↑ 40 League Players go to Association, The Argus, (Thursday, 12 April 1945), p.13.
  15. ↑ Morris, Tom (21 November 2017). "AFL draft 2017: Charlie Spargo a pocket rocket that looms as fourth generation VFL/AFL player". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 29 April 2018.

References

  • Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2009). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (8th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921496-00-4.
  • Watt, Gary (2008). Stawell Gift Almanac 1st ed. Legacy Books.
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