Tommy Downs

Tommy Downs
Personal information
Date of birth 22 May 1901
Place of birth North Fitzroy, Victoria
Date of death 11 August 1981(1981-08-11) (aged 80)
Original team(s) Northcote
Height 159 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Weight 65 kg (143 lb)
Position(s) Rover
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1927–1933 Carlton 56 (44)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1933.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Tommy Downs (22 May 1901 – 11 August 1981)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Downs was a Woodham Cup winner at Northcote in 1925, having previously played with Preston.

One of shortest ever footballers at Carlton, Downs had a poor record at the VFL tribunal. He was suspended for 12 games in 1928 and 19 games the following season, both for striking. The former came in a Semi Final loss to Richmond when he kicked a career best four goals and the latter was in a Preliminary Final. Most famously however he received a 29-game suspension in 1931 when he was reported for kicking Richmond's captain Maurie Hunter. In a postscript to this incident, in 1954 teammate Frank O'Rourke admitted in a newspaper interview that he kicked Hunter.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Tommy Downs". Blueseum - Online Carlton Football Club Museum. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  2. ^ Atkinson, Graeme (1989). 3AW Book of Footy Records. South Melbourne: Magistra Publishing Company Pty Ltd. p. 278. ISBN 1863210091..
  • Tommy Downs's playing statistics from AFL Tables
  • Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.