Australian Football

Collingwood procured Keith Stackpole from Abbotsford, one of its most fruitful recruiting sources, but in six seasons at the club he failed to break into the senior side on a regular basis. He was 19th man in both the 1935 and 1936 premiership teams, but failed to make the losing Grand Final sides of the ensuing three seasons. After 34 VFL games and 26 goals for the Magpies between 1935 and the middle of the 1939 season he crossed to Fitzroy where he really came into his own as the club's second rover alongside Alan Ruthven.

Stackpole spent five and a half seasons with the Maroons, playing another 84 VFL games and kicking 203 goals. His final league match was the 1944 Grand Final, when he contributed a couple of goals to the Roys' 15-point win over Richmond. Keith Stackpole finished his top-level career at Prahran in the VFA, where he served as captain-coach from 1945 to 1947. In his first season with the Two Blues his tally of 85 goals was good enough to top the club's list, as well as being third best in the Association that year. Keith Stackpole's son, also named Keith, was a noteworthy test batsman who averaged 37.42 in 80 innings for Australia during the 1960s and '70s.

Author - John Devaney