Australian Football

A live-wire rover with good skills and a penchant for goal kicking, ‘Ossie’ Bertram never really stayed long enough at one club to make the most of his obvious talent. He began with West Torrens in 1928, where he was nicknamed ‘Dribbler’. In five seasons with the club he played 74 games and kicked 83 goals, and his form was good enough for him twice to earn interstate selection for South Australia. In 1933 he became a member of South Melbourne’s much vaunted ‘foreign legion’ which helped propel the club to its first VFL premiership since 1918. In that year’s Grand Final against Richmond, he shared the roving with Terry Brain as the Blood Stained Angels won convincingly, 9.17 (71) to 4.5 (29). He also played in the following year’s premiership decider when the Tigers achieved revenge. In 1935, after 23 VFL games and 43 goals for South, he crossed to St Kilda where he added another 15 games and booted 17 goals in his final two league seasons.

Author - John Devaney