Australian Football

Ray McArthur was a supremely versatile, if sometimes deceptively casual footballer, who gave West Adelaide tremendous service both as a ruckman and in a wide variety of set positions on either side of World War II. After playing just a single game in 1935, he became a regular the following year, and by the time of his retirement in 1946 had played a total of 152 league games, including 37 with the West Adelaide-Glenelg combined team that took part in the SANFL’s wartime competition between 1942 and 1944. Sadly and doubtless somewhat frustratingly for McArthur, Westies tended to struggle for most of his time with them, but promptly broke through for their first premiership in 20 years the season after he retired.

Voted his club’s best and fairest player in 1937, he had the misfortune to be deprived of a Magarey Medal two years later when, after tying for first place with North Adelaide’s Jeff Pash, he saw the award conferred on the North champion as a result of a special vote held among all the umpires who had officiated in matches involving both players. In 1998, the SANFL saw fit to rectify this perceived error by awarding a Medal to McArthur retrospectively. Always a dangerous player near goal, Ray McArthur topped West Adelaide’s goal kicking list in 1945 with 42 goals. He also made a stirring contribution that season to South Australia’s 52-point victory over the VFL in Adelaide in what was the last of his four interstate appearances.

Author - John Devaney