Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Jack James

Known as
Jack James

Born
31 October 1892

Died
27 April 1977 (aged 84)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 22y 175d
Last game: 33y 315d

Height and weight
Height: 165 cm
Weight: 61 kg

Senior clubs
St. Kilda; Richmond

Jumper numbers
St. Kilda: 18, 27
Richmond: 27

Recruited from
South Yarra (1915); St. Kilda (1926)

Jack James

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
St. KildaV/AFL1915, 1918-19251231150.9435%0
RichmondV/AFL192616191.1950%0
V/AFL1915, 1918-19261391340.9637%0
Total1915, 1918-19261391340.9637%0

AFL: 2,154th player to appear, 1,497th most games played, 757th most goals kickedSt. Kilda: 440th player to appear, 96th most games played, 46th most goals kickedRichmond: 276th player to appear, 573rd most games played, 302nd most goals kicked

A member for a time of Richmond's junior team, Beverley, Jack James was not given the opportunity to join the senior side because it was felt that he was too small. Instead, he moved to South Yarra, but after a short time there he was snapped up by St Kilda, who could obviously see that, despite his diminutive stature, he possessed all the skills and mental attributes necessary to succeed. Between 1915 and 1924 James played 123 VFL games for the Saints and was almost universally regarded as one of the finest rovers in the game.

Quick, agile and superbly balanced, James could kick equally well with both feet, and was renowned for his ability to find team mates up to 40 metres distant with low, piercing, 'daisy cutter' style passes. He was also extremely dangerous near goal, especially when resting in a forward pocket, and topped St Kilda's goal kicking list three times. After missing the second half of the 1925 season, he crossed the following year, ironically, to Richmond, where he finished his career. During that career he represented the VFL several times, including the 1924 Hobart carnival, and was perhaps unfortunate that the Brownlow Medal did not commence prior to 1924, as he was the sort of conspicuously energetic player who tends to attract votes.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

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