AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game
Full name
Harold Rigby
Known as
Harry Rigby
Born
9 January 1878
Died
7 December 1924 (aged 46)
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 22y 116d
Last game: 30y 240d
Senior clubs
Carlton; Melbourne
Recruited from
Carlton (1907)
Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carlton | V/AFL | 1900-1902 | 29 | 2 | 0.07 | 28% | — | — | — | 0 |
Melbourne | V/AFL | 1907-1908 | 27 | 0 | 0.00 | 37% | — | — | — | 0 |
V/AFL | 1900-1902, 1907-1908 | 56 | 2 | 0.04 | 32% | — | — | — | 0 | |
Total | 1900-1902, 1907-1908 | 56 | 2 | 0.04 | 32% | — | — | — | 0 |
AFL: 538th player to appear, 4,030th most games played, 7,632nd most goals kickedCarlton: 88th player to appear, 470th most games played, 700th most goals kickedMelbourne: 184th player to appear, 502nd most games played, 1,076th most goals kicked
From Kyneton originally, Harry Rigby moved to Tasmania in order to play for Burnie, and while there he caught the attention of Carlton, who duly recruited him. Blessed with copious amounts of pace, he was a wingman for most of his 29 game, two goal stint with the Blues from 1900 to 1902. In 1903 he played for West Richmond and then for Richmond in the VFA in 1905-6. He was a member of the Wasps’ 1905 premiership-winning side.
The last phase of Rigby’s career took place back in the VFL with Melbourne in 1907-8 where he added 29 games without kicking a goal. Anyone suspecting that his apparently blistering turn of pace was an illusion would have been disabused of the idea by his feat in winning the 1909 Stawell Gift.
Author - John Devaney