Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Richard Hingston

Known as
Dick Hingston

Born
16 December 1915

Died
3 December 1999 (aged 83)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 22y 142d
Last game: 30y 139d

Height and weight
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 84 kg

Senior clubs
Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 32

Dick Hingston

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
MelbourneV/AFL1938-1941, 19466400.0078%11.00—1.7510
Total1938-1941, 19466400.0078%11.00—1.7510

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 4,585th player to appear, 3,632nd most games played, 11,301st most goals kickedMelbourne: 564th player to appear, 269th most games played, 1,209th most goals kicked

Regarded as one of the best defenders in the Ballarat region Dick Hingston was recommended to Melbourne by two of the club’s former players, Jack Collins and Dick Taylor. He commenced with the Demons in 1938 and, after playing 14 games for the season, won their best first year player award. He went on to establish himself as one of the best half back flankers in the game and lined up in that position in the victorious grand final teams of 1939 against Collingwood and 1940 against Richmond. Were it not for injury he would almost certainly have made it a hat trick of flags in 1941.

Between 1942 and 1945 Hingston served in the AIF and did not play football. He resumed with Melbourne in 1946 but after playing the first three matches of the season he opted to retire in order to complete a training course related to his employment. He had played 64 VFL games for the Demons without registering a single goal, this being an era when defenders seldom ventured ahead of centre.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article; http://demonwiki.org/Dick+Hingston

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Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.