Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Ralph Latham

Known as
Ralph Latham

Born
17 October 1924

Died
11 June 2012 (aged 87)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 200d
Last game: 20y 319d

Height and weight
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 86 kg

Senior clubs
Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 8

Ralph Latham

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
MelbourneV/AFL194516110.6931%0
Total194516110.6931%0

AFL: 5,438th player to appear, 7,112th most games played, 4,815th most goals kickedMelbourne: 647th player to appear, 655th most games played, 418th most goals kicked

Ralph Latham played with West Perth in 1942 when the WANFL operated on an under-age basis. He was actually tied to Swan Districts but Swans proved unable to field a team that season. The last of Latham’s 12 appearances for the Cardinals was their grand final defeat of Claremont, in which he lined up at centre half forward.

The 1943 season saw Swans resuming in the competition and Latham returned home. He did not play in 1944 and then spent the 1945 season playing 16 games and kicking 11 goals for Melbourne in the VFL. The arrangement arose because of his being stationed in Melbourne with the RAAF.

Latham rounded off his playing career back at Swan Districts where, between 1946 and 1952, he added 77 WANFL games and 171 goals to the 15 games and 40 goals registered with the wartime under-age side in 1943. Utilised as a forward for the majority of his football career, Latham headed Swans’ goal kicking list in 1948 with 38 goals and 1949 with 60. 

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

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