Australian Football

Having played for Prahran in the VFA as a 17-year-old, Lester Ross moved to Moe where he won the Latrobe Valley Football League's best and fairest award in 1958 with a record number of votes. The following season saw him commence his league football career with St Kilda, where he played 10 games for the year including a best-afield performance in his debut when opposed by none other than the great 'EJ' Whitten. Ross would almost certainly have played every match of the season for the Saints but an altercation with the coach precipitated his departure midway through the year. 

In 1961 he had a second crack at the big time when he joined Norwood, missing five games during his debut season with injury but still managing to finish third in the voting for the Magarey Medal. In addition, he was a joint winner with teammate Bill Wedding of of the prestigious player of the season award conferred by "The News". After a couple of seasons with the Redlegs Ross transferred to South Adelaide where he would become a significant contributor to the club's emergence out of the doldrums. In 1964, with Ross a conspicuously consistent contributor on a half forward flank, the Panthers catapulted themselves from the previous season's wooden spoon to the hitherto undreamt of heights of a Grand Final victory over perennial premiership contender Port Adelaide. Over the ensuing couple of years, Lester Ross regularly continued to produce performances of the highest order, establishing himself as, without doubt, one of the finest half forward flank specialists in the state. 

In 1967, deprived of the Kerley influence after 'The King' moved to Glenelg, his form dipped somewhat, but he still managed 13 games for the year to take his final tally with the club to 72. His last port of call as a league player was Subiaco in 1968 but, after performing well in the club's opening match of the season, an off-field accident brought the curtain down on his career.

Author - John Devaney