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Football Unlimited – Tim Hogan’s Guide to the Great Australian Game- Published At: 2018-06-15 15:28 - (549 Reads)
Rating:
(7.00/10)
It slowly dawned on me that Hogan’s book – a vast store of information emanating from a great variety of disparate sources, places and periods – was in fact a guide to Australian football’s collective memory.
Percy Leason- Published At: 2017-11-16 11:11 - (779 Reads)Percy Leason (23 February 1889 – 11 September 1959 was a cartoonist an painter who rose to prominence in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He was most widely known for cartoons and illustrations that appeared in many magazines including Punch and later Table Talk.
Charlie Davey -A Forgotten Star Of Interstate Football- Published At: 2017-11-10 10:44 - (1001 Reads)Among those Victorian players who have been often overlooked for their significant contribution to interstate football is Carlton’s champion ruckman Charlie Davey. Charlie, who played 143 games for Carlton, represented Victoria on 17 occasions between 1929 and 1935. He is a classic example of a forgotten star of national football; and hopefully this story may serve as a reminder of Charlie’s undoubted ability and achievements in VFL and interstate football.
Stan Spinks - The Gallant Midfielder From Glenferrie- Published At: 2017-11-10 08:59 - (1096 Reads)With the resounding recent success of Hawthorn; and the current abundance of Hawks stars, many younger fans may be unaware of the rocky road that Hawthorn travelled in the early years of the club’s history. One of the heroes of Hawthorn during its darkest years was Stan Spinks…this is his story.
Vic Lawrence- The Big Hearted Shinboner- Published At: 2017-10-19 11:18 - (1869 Reads)Victor (aka Vic) Lawrence (born: 1928) played more than 100 VFL games; and although a steadfast defender, club captain and Victorian representative, he appears to be another ‘forgotten man’ of VFL football. This story attempts to remind football followers of Vic’s achievements and the key role he played in rebuilding the NMFC during the 1950’s.
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Statistician extraordinaire 1956-59 (Eat your heart out Ted Hopkins!)- Published At: 2017-02-13 17:03 - (2863 Reads)Sit yourself down in a cosy chair in front of the fire and transport yourself back to 1957 and experience the joys of an 11-year-old Geelong supporter and his statistical exercise book. Ted Hopkins never did it like this.
ANFC Football Carnival - Hobart 1947- Published At: 2013-09-02 14:00 - (10800 Reads)The 1947 Victory Carnival was held in Hobart and was the first Carnival conducted by the Australian National Football Council since the end of World War Two. It was also the first Carnival since 1933 where the 'B' Division teams had a chance to play. Poor weather caused disappointing attendances, and a muddy playing surface. It was no surprise that the Victorian Football League team was victorious, but the VFL did lose twice - once to Western Australia, and once (after the conclusion of the Carnival) to a combined South Australia/Western Australia team.
1925 - The First VFL Grand Final Radio Call- Published At: 2016-06-17 11:17 - (2736 Reads)The 1925 VFL Grand Final was the first Australian Rules Grand Final to be broadcast over a newfangled device, usually called the wireless. 1925 was still the infancy of radio in Australia, broadcasting had only officially started in 1924. Outdoor broadcasts were new and exciting. It seems fitting that ‘out of town’ers Geelong won this historic encounter. This is the story of the evolution of Australian Radio leading to this historic game.
1933 - Round 5 St Kilda v North Melbourne - 15 men defeat 18- Published At: 2013-01-14 02:30 - (6043 Reads)St Kilda scored the most meritorious victory by any league side for some years. It was not so much the brilliance of the football, but rather the dogged determination and real Aussie fighting spirit that enabled them to see it out and win a glorious victory with only 15 men.- Football Record - Round 6 (June 5) 1933 p12
The Same Game, A Different Ball- Published At: 2013-11-10 10:39 - (14295 Reads)Who invented the shape of the Australian Rules football? Which ball is 'THE' ball?
The shape of the Australian Rules football has evolved from the 1860's onward. Today's smaller balls are more consistent and accurate than the early larger footballs, but they do not travel as far. Changes have been small but continual and there have been many contributors. |
Historical Articles (Reprinted)
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Great Football Dramas No. 10 - When Collingwood And Fitzroy Thrilled Sydney In 1903- Published At: 2017-11-10 11:49 - (524 Reads)In this, the tenth of a series of great football dramas, is described how, in 1903, Collingwood and Fitzroy made football history by contesting a League premiership match in Sydney, and how, in the Rugby stronghold, a crowd of 20,000, seeing a big Australian rules game for the first time, was thrilled by the fast, spectacular play.
Great Football Dramas No. 1 - DUNCAN’S MATCH- Published At: 2017-11-05 17:00 - (390 Reads)DUNCAN’S MATCH!” Two words, ablaze with imperishable fame, that stand out vividly in Australian football history.
Great Football Dramas No. 2 - Footscray's Dramatic Win Over Essendon Sensation of 1924- Published At: 2017-11-05 09:36 - (459 Reads)Re-told by an eye-witness, this, the second of a series of stories of stirring football dramas enacted on League grounds, describes how, in 1924, Footscray, Association premiers, paralysed Essendon, League premiers, in a memorable contest for the championship of Victoria.
Great Football Dramas—No.7 - Revolutionary Strategy That Won 1928 League Flag For Collingwood- Published At: 2017-11-04 12:13 - (1073 Reads)Re-told by an eye-witness, this is the seventh of a series of great football dramas. It describes how, in the 1928 final against Richmond, Collingwood, with audacious match-winning strategy, set giant Percy Rowe to spoil Donald Don, dreaded champion full-back; and how, under Rowe’s clever protection, Gordon Coventry kicked nine goals – a record.
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Random Articles
Great Football Dramas No. 10 - When Collingwood And Fitzroy Thrilled Sydney In 1903- Published At: 2017-11-10 11:49 - (524 Reads)In this, the tenth of a series of great football dramas, is described how, in 1903, Collingwood and Fitzroy made football history by contesting a League premiership match in Sydney, and how, in the Rugby stronghold, a crowd of 20,000, seeing a big Australian rules game for the first time, was thrilled by the fast, spectacular play.
Great Football Dramas—No. 8 Association Coup which Brought 40,000 to the M.C.G. £1000 Gate for Final- Published At: 2016-08-06 12:43 - (1737 Reads)In this the eighth of a series of football dramas is described the Association’s greatest coup of 1908, by which, in American Fleet Week, they secured the Melbourne Cricket Ground on a public holiday for their final match, and attracted a crowd of 40,000 and a £1000 “gate” – both records that still stand.
Great Football Dramas — No. 13 Fitzroy First To Smash Collingwood's Great System- Published At: 2016-08-28 18:02 - (2103 Reads)How Collingwood's famous system, then brand-new, was first smashed by Fitzroy in a memorable League semi-final in 1902, is retold in this, the thirteenth of a series of great football dramas.
Great Football Dramas—No.5 Vital Kick to Decide Honors- Published At: 2016-06-17 12:22 - (1816 Reads)This article describes the Fitzroy v Collingwood final to determine the 1903 VFL premiership. A very close affair between the two great teams of the era. A game decided by the final kick of the day.
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Article Archive...
An Introduction to Charles Boyles
Charles Boyles SLV2008.122/451 (Cropped) Source: State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
The website is centred around the photos of Charles Boyles, a Melbourne-based photographer. Boyles primarily took photos of Australian Rules Football teams and players. He appears to have started this football work in the late twenties. He continued through the 1930's, the years of the Second World War, and then right up to his final photos in the early sixties. Unlike most commercial photographers, Charles Boyles did not wait for customers to come to him. Boyles set up his camera on training nights, and on game days took posed team photos after the players had run onto the ground. These were sold directly to the clubs, players and general public. On Saturdays, at the games, the photographer's son Harley Boyles (and others) would take a satchel of mixed photos and sell them throughout the game. Unlike newspaper photos, therefore, a Boyles photo was something you could own, take home, and treasure. There are no action shots or photos of games in progress. Boyles specialised in team photos and player portraits, with the players looking directly to camera. Today these photos are used by clubs, by family historians, and by those interested in football history. They often appear uncredited in football history books. Boyles did not restrict himself to the leading football competition of his era, the Victorian Football League. During his working life he attended many different competitions. He covered the VFA, Wartime Services matches, the various Victorian workplace competitions, the Sunday leagues, and other competitions. Learn More about the Life of Charles Boyles
Read Ken's article on the methods, motives and life of Charles Boyles. The article includes notes from an extensive interview with Harley Boyles about his father. See Charles Edward Boyles: From Tripod to Website. |
Website Aims and Objectives
This website contains work by two independent researchers, Ken Mansell and Michael Riley. Our objective is to share our own passion for history and provide a friendly resource for family historians, football buffs and others who have an interest in the Charles Boyles photos and more generally in football photography from the 1920's to 1960's.A Football History Website
This site has grown to cover more than just football photos. There is an amazing amount to explore. You can start with articles, player pages, ground pages, team and league pages as well as information on players careers outside football.All Football Photographers Not Just Charles Boyles Photos
This site contains photos from many of Boyles's contemporaries. These contrast Boyles's style, and add to an understanding of sport, photography, and the football of the time.Football Outside the VFL
Charles Boyles took photos of VFL teams, but also took photos of VFA teams, Workplace Teams and teams in Junior Leagues. Also, for many players the VFL was just a small part of their footballing story. This site attempts to build a picture of the football world during Boyle's working period. This world is worth explored through articles and the pages thoughout the website. Sources of Images on this Website
We are not associated with any library or institution. We have received permission from a variety of people and institutions to include their images on this particular website. Each photo is labelled as to it's source. Please contact the relevant source for permission to reproduce any images. The appearance of an image on this website does not mean that it is public domain. Although many (not all) photos are out of copyright, many images are available here under 'Terms of Use' agreements with the relevant organisation. We credit the photographer and the photo source wherever possible, |
Examples of Boyles Photos
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Kew Sub Districts 1939 - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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North West Suburbs Police Team circa 1935 - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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Carlton Seconds, 1956 - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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Bob Wilkie - St Kilda - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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