Australian Football

Originally from Longwarry, Jack Bisset joined Port Melbourne while still a youngster and played at full back in the club's two-point Grand Final win over Footscray in 1922. The following year the two clubs again contested the premiership, with the achievement of Footscray in gaining revenge being somewhat overshadowed by the fact that no fewer than seven reports were laid. Bisset, who was one of four Borough players to front the Tribunal, was outed for five weeks on a charge of striking Jack Howell, who himself was handed a seven week's holiday.

After 39 games for Port, Bisset, now playing mainly as a follower, had two brief stints with Richmond, during which time he played in losing Grand Finals against Collingwood in1928 and Geelong in 1931. In 1932, at the outset of what in retrospect has become knownas the 'foreign legion' era, he transferred to South Melbourne, and twelve months later, after captain-coach Johnny Leonard was compelled to return home to Western Australia, Bisset was appointed as his replacement. In some ways a rather surprising choice, Bisset's extensive finals experience with Richmond, coupled with his commanding on-field presence,probably gained him the nod ahead of ostensibly more obvious choices.  

In his first season at the helm he repaid the club committee emphatically by steering the southerners to their first flag since 1918. In the Grand Final victory over his former club Richmond he led from the front in imposing fashion, etching his name firmly into history as the last ever architect of a South Melbourne premiership.¹ Bisset remained at South until the end of the 1936 season, adding 90 VFL games to the 38 he had played with the Tigers. He also represented the VFL.

In 1937, Jack Bisset returned to his original club Port Melbourne as captain-coach, but before the season was out he had been replaced by Harry Crompton. Bisset's achievements at South Melbourne were of incalculable importance, however, and in August 2003 he was rewarded with selection as coach of the club's official 'Team of the Century'.

Author - John Devaney