Australian Football

Glenelg full forward Colin Churchett achieved the distinction of being the first post-World War II footballer in the SANFL to register 100 goals in a season. He managed the feat twice, in 1950 and 1951, and all told kicked 556 goals in his 186-game league career (plus one game played with South Melbourne in 1944, while on war service in Victoria).

With characteristic eloquence, Jeff Pash described Churchett as “a wizard when it came to the matter of directing the essentially irregular object that is a football through the goals”¹. He did this with almost equal facility in weak Glenelg teams as he did when the club was battling for the premiership. Although not a particularly long kick, his unerring accuracy extended to both feet, a comparatively rare capability at the time. He was equally effective from a snap shot or when kicking on the run, but formidable ground play was his acknowledged forté, with his ability to get boot tellingly to ball in awkward situations unparalleled among South Australian full forwards of his time.

Churchett topped Glenelg’s goal-kicking list six times in seven years and only Jack Owens and ‘Fred’ Phillis have kicked more goals in the black and gold.

Author - John Devaney