Australian Football

From the time he began with Geelong in 1892 until his retirement almost 20 years and well over 200 games later, Henry 'Tracker' Young was a lynch-pin of the team. Supremely powerful in the air, and surprisingly adept on the ground, he was renowned for his supreme fitness that enabled him to ruck untiringly for four quarters.

Young's understanding with his rovers was uncanny, and his deftness in palming the ball to them regardless of how much duress he was under was a celebrated feature of his game. A stirring and vocal on-field leader, he had the honour of captaining the VFL at the inaugural Australasian championship series in Melbourne in 1908 as well as skippering the Pivotonians from 1901 to 1909.

Young was a prominent all round sportsman who enjoyed success in rowing, cycling and amateur boxing. Tragically, and somewhat ironically given his obsession with physical fitness, he died young in 1923 after sustaining a massive heart attack while swimming at the Geelong Baths.

Author - John Devaney