Australian Football

Edwin 'Teddy' Rankin began with Geelong in 1891 and went on to play 268 games for the club (180 in VFL ranks) in almost 20 years of service. He was the first Geelong player to notch up 100 VFL games, an achievement that appears all the more meritorious when you consider that he missed the entire 1898 season after contracting typhoid.

A nippy, elusive rover for most of his career, Rankin shifted to the backlines when he began to slow down, and his anticipation and reading of the game made him one of the best defenders in the business.

During a match played on a very wet day at the Brunswick Street Oval, Rankin embarked on a run with the ball during which, rather than attempting to bounce it on the greasy playing surface, he stooped to touch it to the ground every 10 yards, a practice which soon became a commonplace feature of the game.

Teddy Rankin had three sons - Bert, Cliff and Doug - who followed in their father's footsteps, with Bert and Cliff representing both Geelong and the VFL with considerable distinction.

Author - John Devaney