Australian Football

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In the opinion of many Haydn Bunton senior was, quite simply, the finest Australian footballer ever. It is therefore extremely ironic that he was born in Albury, New South Wales, a state where rugby has traditionally been the king of winter sports.²

Bunton's outstanding performances in the Ovens and Murray Football League, where he played initially for Albury and later West Albury, attracted the attention of all twelve VFL clubs but it was Fitzroy who ultimately secured his signature. However, he was then forced to sit on the sidelines throughout the 1930 season while claims that the Maroons had been guilty of offering him illegal financial inducements were investigated (and ultimately proved). During this time, he was allegedly approached by two VFA clubs, Oakleigh and Yarraville, who wanted to secure his services on a temporary basis; Bunton, however, declined.

Playing mainly as a rover, Bunton was a stunning success from the start, winning Brownlows in each of his first two league seasons. Averaging close to thirty kicks a game he was possessed of all the offensive skills in the book and his extraordinary fluidity and grace of movement made him a delight to watch. Bunton won a further Brownlow Medal in 1935 before moving to Subiaco three years later. 

Bunton’s peak years as a player were spent with Fitzroy, where he became the game’s first ever triple Brownlow Medallist, and Subiaco. He joined Subiaco as captain-coach in 1938 and promptly won back to back Sandover Medals, followed by a third in 1941. His four season stint in the west netted him 72 league games as well as 3 interstate appearances for Western Australia. He was voted Subiaco’s fairest and best player three times, and topped the club’s goal kicking list in 1938 with 51 goals, 1939 (59), 1940 (34) and 1941 (46).

World War Two curtailed Bunton's career, preventing what might have been still greater success, although after leaving the [Subiaco] Maroons he did return briefly to Fitzroy in 1942, taking his final tally of senior games with that club to 119, before rounding off his career with a one-season stint at Port Adelaide in 1945, but his best days as a player were by then behind him.

Bunton spent a season as a field umpire before assuming the coaching reins, on a non-playing basis, at North Adelaide in 1947. Bunton spent two seasons with North, but was unable to steer his charges into the finals.

Author - John Devaney