Australian Football

Lightweight and diminutive in stature, Jim Stewart was a fast, elusive footballer who could be extremely damaging when playing in the forward lines. He was a long, accurate kick and often described as unselfish and extremely team orientated. He commenced his senior career with North Melbourne, and was a key contributor, on a wing, to the side's 7.6 (48) to 3.9 (27) victory over Richmond in the 1903 VFA Grand Final. The following year saw North take out the premiership again after challenge final opponents Richmond refused to take the field under the umpire appointed by the Association, effectively forfeiting the match. Stewart, who had played in both the two-point defeat of Richmond in a Semi Final, and the 17 point victory over Footscray in the Final, would almost certainly have lined up on a wing once more in the Challenge Final had it gone ahead.

In 1905, St Kilda beat off opposition from Carlton to procure Stewart's signature, and, over the ensuing half a dozen seasons, he gave the club fine service, comprising 83 VFL games and 77 goals. The reason for the comparatively high goal tally was that he played a considerable number of games as a half forward flanker, from which position he topped his club's goal kicking ladder on two occasions (once jointly).

In 1907, Stewart kicked what was then a St Kilda record tally of seven goals in an 11.16 (82) to 7.4 (46) defeat of Geelong at Corio Oval. Prior to that, the club's record individual tally in a game had been just four goals. After returning to North Melbourne in 1911 Jim Stewart had a second stab at league football the following year when he played a couple of games for Carlton. He finished his senior career back at North that same year.

Author - John Devaney