Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
George Heinz

Known as
George Heinz

Born
8 October 1891

Died
3 October 1966 (aged 74)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 18y 204d
Last game: 35y 204d

Height and weight
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 73 kg

Senior clubs
Geelong; Melbourne; St. Kilda

Jumper numbers
Geelong: 13, 1, 27
Melbourne: 15

Recruited from
Geelong (1919); Melbourne (1927)

George Heinz

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
GeelongV/AFL1910-191487710.8254%0
MelbourneV/AFL1919-1925106970.9236%0
St. KildaV/AFL1927111.00100%0
V/AFL1910-1914, 1919-1925, 19271941690.8744%0
Total1910-1914, 1919-1925, 19271941690.8744%0

AFL: 1,610th player to appear, 712th most games played, 540th most goals kickedGeelong: 199th player to appear, 198th most games played, 118th most goals kickedMelbourne: 333rd player to appear, 151st most games played, 83rd most goals kickedSt. Kilda: 602nd player to appear, 1,575th most games played, 981st most goals kicked

Originally from Geelong College, George Heinz made his VFL debut for Geelong, aged 18, in the opening round of the 1910 season against Melbourne. He made an immediately favourable impression, and quickly formed a damaging roving partnership with the equally talented Alec Eason. Cool, clever, and elusive, he was chosen to represent the VFL at the 1911 Adelaide carnival, and again at Sydney three years later when he received a Referee Medal as his state's best player. The last of his 87 games for Geelong was the 1914 semi final against South Melbourne, which the red and whites won by a single straight kick.

Owing to anti-German feeling during World War I, George Heinz felt constrained to change his surname to Haines, and it was under that name that he further exhibited his patriotism by joining the AIF. On the resumption of full scale football in 1919 he transferred to Melbourne, which appointed him as captain-coach. He topped the Fuchsias' goal kicking in his debut season at the club, albeit with only 15 goals in a very lean, winless year.

Heinz spent seven seasons altogether at Melbourne, including two as captain, and added another 106 VFL games to his ledger. After a year's break from the game, he returned to the VFL in 1927 as coach of St Kilda, adding one more senior game to his tally when the team was short of players, and steering the team to seventh position on the ladder with an 8-10 record. He later returned to Melbourne and took on the role of chairman of selectors.

Author - John Devaney, with additional information by Andrew Gigacz

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

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