Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Jack Kirby

Known as
Jack Kirby

Born
1 July 1889

Died
11 March 1939 (aged 49)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 22y 0d
Last game: 28y 335d

Height and weight
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 70 kg

Senior clubs
Essendon

Jumper numbers
Essendon: 10, 11

Jack Kirby

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
EssendonV/AFL1911-1915, 1918771131.4752%0
Total1911-1915, 1918771131.4752%0

AFL: 1,808th player to appear, 3,110th most games played, 945th most goals kickedEssendon: 217th player to appear, 240th most games played, 65th most goals kicked

Despite his comparatively diminutive (170cm, 70kg) stature Jack Kirby certainly did not shirk the physical elements of the game. In fact, he seemed positively to thrive when the going was at its most strenuous. From 1911 to 1915 and in 1918 he played 77 VFL games for Essendon and kicked 113 goals.

A half forward flanker for most of his League career, he boasted good judgement and was a fine kick. He was also accomplished at creating the loose man in the forward lines. In both 1912 and 1913 he was the Same Old’s top goal kicker with tallies of 43 and 29 goals respectively. The undoubted highlights of his career came with his membership of winning grand final teams in 1911 against Collingwood and 1912 against South Melbourne.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article; Those Magnificent Men 1897-1987 by Michael Maplestone

Footnotes

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