Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Donald Balfour

Known as
Don Balfour

Born
11 November 1918

Died
21 April 2008 (aged 89)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 19y 212d
Last game: 27y 202d

Height and weight
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 73 kg

Senior clubs
Collingwood; Richmond; City

Jumper numbers
Collingwood: 3, 1, 4, 20
Richmond: 20, 2

Recruited from
Collingwood (1945)

Don Balfour

Advanced stats
Club
League
Career span
Games
Goals
Avg
Win %
AKI
AHB
AMK
BV
CollingwoodV/AFL1938-1941, 1943-194571290.4156%11.57—4.862
RichmondV/AFL1945-1946810.1338%———0
CityNTFA19471310.08—————
V/AFL1938-1941, 1943-194679300.3854%11.57—4.862
NTFA19471310.08—————
Total1938-1941, 1943-194792310.34—————

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 4,626th player to appear, 3,089th most games played, 2,994th most goals kickedCollingwood: 404th player to appear, 264th most games played, 250th most goals kickedRichmond: 453rd player to appear, 752nd most games played, 799th most goals kicked

Don Balfour was a capable defender who usually occupied either a half back flank or a back pocket. He was in the former position for Collingwood’s 1938 grand final loss to Carlton and the latter when the Magpies succumbed to Melbourne in the following year’s flag decider. He was high among Collingwood’s best players in the 1938 game. From 1938 to 1941 and 1943 to 1945 he played 71 VFL games and scored 18 goals for the Magpies. He then embarked on a two season stint with Richmond during which he made eight senior appearances and kicked one goal. In 1947 he was appointed captain-coach of the Launceston-based club City, for whom he played 13 games and booted one goal.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.