Cyril Leonard Gambetta (1 August 1899 – 20 August 1974) was an Italian-Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Due to having suffered from polio as a child he had badly bowed legs which gave him an awkward running style.
| Cyril Gambetta | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Cyril Leonard Gambetta | ||
| Date of birth | 1 August 1899 | ||
| Place of birth | Eaglehawk, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 20 August 1974 (aged 75) | ||
| Place of death | Elwood, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | Sandhurst | ||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1921 | Hawthorn (VFA) | 12 (33) | |
| 1922–1931 | St Kilda | 129 (75) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1931. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
|
St Kilda best player award 1925 | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Gambetta came to Melbourne from Sandhurst in Bendigo at the start of the 1921 season. After being refused a clearance to St Kilda,[1] he joined Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) where he played as a forward.[2]
The next season, he joined St Kilda where he spent most of his time as a key position defender and was twice chosen to represent Victoria at interstate football. He won St Kilda's best player award in 1925[3] and finished equal sixth in the 1928 Brownlow Medal.
In June, 1925, Benalla Football Club offered Gambetta their coaching job, but St.Kilda refused to clear him[4]
References
edit- ^ "LEAGUE PERMITS". The Argus. Melbourne. 30 April 1921. p. 17 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Gordon, Harry & Michael. One For All : the story of the Hawthorn Football Club. ISBN 978-1-921332-83-8.
- ^ "St. Kilda Club". The Argus. Melbourne. 15 December 1925. p. 6 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Gambetta refused a clearance". Benalla Standard. 12 June 1925. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2020 – via Trove Newspapers.
External links
edit- Cyril Gambetta's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Cyril Gambetta at AustralianFootball.com
- Italian Team of the Century
- Cyril Gambetta of St. Kilda One of Victoria’s Greatest Footballers from the Sporting Globe
 | This Australian rules football biography of a person born in 1899 is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |