Australian Football

Jack Cashman was a vigorous and highly effective ruckman/forward whose selfless approach to the game was much appreciated, and profited from, by his team mates. He made his VFL debut with Fitzroy in 1926, and went on to play 76 games for the club over the next six seasons. 

In 1932 he accepted the position of captain-coach of West Perth, where his inspirational leadership qualities, both on and off the field, reaped immediate reward in the form of a premiership. Cashman also steered the Cardinals to third place the following year before accepting an invitation to take over the reins at his original club which had only just failed to make the finals the previous year. Just two games into the 1934 season, however, Cashman walked out on the Roys, claiming that certain members of the committee were out to 'get' him. He sought, and was eventually granted, a clearance to Carlton, and over the next year or so he gave fine service to his new club as a handy goal-kicking option, adding 17 VFL games and 32 goals to give him career total of 93 games and 134 goals.

Cashman spent the latter part of the 1935 season with Yarraville, and was at centre half forward in the club's breakthrough premiership win that year. He spent 1936 back in Western Australia, but in 1937 he returned to Melbourne where he served as captain-coach of a Yarraville side that finished fourth. From 1938 until 1941 he captain-coached TANFL side Cananore, albeit without managing to procure a premiership. Jack Cashman represented the VFL on 4 occasions.

Author - John Devaney