Francis Gerald Crapper (22 May 1911 – 8 February 1991)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| Frank Crapper | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Francis Gerald Crapper | ||
| Date of birth | 22 May 1911 | ||
| Place of birth | Raywood, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 8 February 1991 (aged 79) | ||
| Original team(s) | Eaglehawk | ||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1931, 1935–1939 | North Melbourne | 27 (56) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1939. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Crapper was a prolific full-forward for Eaglehawk in the Bendigo Football League (BFL), who had two stints at North Melbourne. Two brothers, Fred and Harry, played briefly at Richmond and Melbourne respectively.[2]
He had come to the attention of North Melbourne scouts in 1930 when he became the first player in history to kick over 100 goals in a BFL season. Crapper was then signed by North Melbourne but would only play three games for them in 1931 before returning to Eaglehawk.[3]
Crapper beat his own BFL record in 1932 when he kicked 129 goals.[4] He bettered that effort in 1933 with 154 goals in the home and away season and 165 after finals.[5] Both those tallies remain a league record.
The forward made a return to North Melbourne in 1935 and kicked 10 goals from his six appearances.[3] He finally kicked a big haul for his VFL club in the sixth round of the 1936 season, with nine goals against St Kilda.[3] His eventual season tall of 29 goals was second only to Dudley Cassidy at North Melbourne.[3] Over the next three years he managed only five more games but did put in another memorable performance, kicking eight goals against Footscray on his 26th birthday.[3] Despite his efforts he still finished on the losing team, as he had after his nine-goal haul from the previous season.[3]
Crapper served in the second World War.[6]
References
edit
- ^ "Frank Crapper - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
- ^ a b c d e f AFL Tables: Frank Crapper
- ^ The Advertiser, "129 Goals In A Season"[permanent dead link], 30 September 1932, p. 8
- ^ The Argus, "Bendigo Goal-kicker", 5 January 1934, p. 13
- ^ "WW2 Nominal Roll". Government of Australia.