Australian Football

Norm 'Snowy' McIntosh joined South Fremantle in 1910, and over the ensuing nine seasons became a key factor in the club’s emergence as a force in West Australian football. Exceedingly quick both in terms of reflexes and leg sped, he began as a wingman before developing into a stay at home centreman of the highest ilk. He was in the centre when the southerners broke through for their first flag with a 7.12 (54) to 5.5 (35) Challenge Final defeat of East Fremantle in 1916, and again the following year when the victory was repeated. 

At the end of the 1919 season he crossed to Victoria to join Richmond where he played a total of 78 VFL games between 1920 and 1924. After struggling initially to hold down a regular place in the powerful Tiger line-up, by midway through the 1921 season he was being widely feted as a player of pre-eminent quality. He was on a half back flank, and one of the best afield, in the 1921 Challenge Final victory over Carlton, and when the Tigers next made the finals three years later he put in a series of conspicuous performances in the centre. 

McIntosh left Richmond at the end of the 1924 season, having played four games for the VFL at that year’s Hobart carnival to add to his five Western Australian state appearances at the Sydney championships of 10 years earlier. In 1926 and 1927 he fronted up as captain-coach of Claremont-Cottesloe during that club’s first two seasons in the WAFL, but hardly surprisingly it was a struggle, and the fledgling club finished last both years. McIntosh played 26 games for Claremont-Cottesloe to add to the 130 he had played for South Fremantle.

His final involvement in league football came as non-playing coach of his old club, South Fremantle, where he had two separate, single season stints in charge, steering the side to a losing Grand Final against arch rival East Fremantle in 1929, and to fifth place, missing the finals only on percentage, four years later.

Author - John Devaney