Albert Tasman Roberts (18 August 1901 – 9 April 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1][2]

Tasman Roberts
Personal information
Full name Albert Tasman Roberts
Date of birth (1901-08-18)18 August 1901
Place of birth Albert Park, Victoria
Date of death 9 April 1942(1942-04-09) (aged 40)
Place of death Rabaul, Territory of New Guinea
Original team(s) Prahran
Position(s) Ruck / forward pocket
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1925–27 St Kilda 41 (22)
1928 Fitzroy 17 (10)
Total 58 (32)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1928.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Originally recruited from Prahran in the Victorian Football Association,[3] he returned to the VFA to play for Yarraville Football Club in 1929.[4] In July 1930 Roberts and a Yarraville team-mate, Peter Hannan, were involved in a car accident, in which Roberts fractured his skull.[5][6]

In 1940, using his given name, his mother's maiden name and a false date of birth, Roberts enlisted in the 2/22nd Infantry Battalion as Albert Lyons.[7] In April 1941 his battalion embarked to Rabaul, Territory of New Guinea. He was captured as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Rabaul in January 1942. In October 1945 he was recorded as having died on 9 April 1942 from inanition cachexia (starvation).[8]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 754. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
  2. ^ League Permits Granted, The Argus, (Thursday, 19 April 1928, p.4: "T. H. Roberts, St. Kilda to Fitzroy".
  3. ^ Football, The Argus, (Thursday, 7 May 1925), p.5.
  4. ^ Football: Fitzroy Training List, The Age, (Tuesday, 23 April 1929), p.12; Yarraville Association Team, 1929, The (Melbourne) Weekly Times, (Saturday, 3 August 1929), p.39; Football Teams: Yarraville, The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 August 1919), p.76.
  5. ^ "ASSOCIATION". The Age. No. 23496. Victoria, Australia. 30 July 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 12 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Serious Motor Accident, The Frankston and Somerville Standard, (Saturday,2 August 1930), p.5.
  7. ^ "World War Two Service, Veteran Details".
  8. ^ "Service and Casualty Form".
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