Bert Beard

Gilbert Vaughan "Bert" Beard (a.k.a. "Blue" Beard; "Bluey" Beard) (5 July 1909 – 8 November 1983) was an Australian rules footballer from Western Australia who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1930s. He also played first-grade cricket for the South Melbourne Cricket Club.[1]

Bert Beard
Personal information
Full name Gilbert Vaughan Beard
Date of birth (1909-07-05)5 July 1909
Place of birth Northam, Western Australia
Date of death 8 November 1983(1983-11-08) (aged 74)
Original team(s) South Fremantle (WANFL)
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 86 kg (190 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1930, 1936 South Fremantle
1932–1935 South Melbourne 36 (19)
1935 Fitzroy 13 0(6)
Total 49 (25)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1935.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

The son of John Beard (1848-1924),[2][3] and Sarah Beard (1866-1951), née Gibson,[4][5] Gilbert Vaughan Beard was born at Northam, Western Australia on 5 July 1909.

He married Olive Eva Murphy (1909-1961) on 17 August 1935.[6] Their son, Neville played in the West Australian Football League and won the Sandover Medal in 1961.[7]

Football

He was powerfully built ruckman, and was a fine high mark and a good long kick of the ball.

South Fremantle

Beard was recruited to South Melbourne from the South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WANFL).

South Melbourne

He made his VFL debut for South Melbourne in 1932.

He was one of a number of South Melbourne players who were given immediate, long-term, secure, paid employment outside of football within the (137 store) grocery empire of the South Melbourne president, South Melbourne Lord Mayor, and Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Archie Crofts.[8][9] The collection of players recruited from interstate in 1932/1933 become known as South Melbourne's "Foreign Legion".[10]

In 1933, he was 19th man in the club's premiership side; he replaced injured half-back flanker Hugh McLaughlin in the second quarter.

Fitzroy

He stayed at South Melbourne until the 1935 season when after one game he decided to cross to Fitzroy to play out the season.[11]

South Fremantle

Accepting the offer of lucrative employment from a West Australian bakery firm, Beard left Melbourne and returned to Perth in March 1936.[12] Once his clearance from Fitzroy had been obtained,[13] He played his first match, in his return season, on 4 July 1936.[14] By early 1937, he had returned to Victoria.[15]

Bairnsdale

In 1938 he was appointed captain-coach of the Bairnsdale Football Club, in the Gippsland Football League,[16] as a replacement for Fred Gilby who has been appointed elsewhere.[17] Despite Beard's efforts ("For Bairnsdale the most outstanding performers were B. Beard (whose marking was superb), …"), Bairnsdale were defeated by the Maffra Football Club, 13.13 (91) to 10.13 (73).[18]

South Melbourne Districts

He was appointed captain-coach of the South Melbourne Districts Football Club (in the Sub-District Football League) in 1939.[19]

Footnotes
  1. Hassett Selected for North Match, (Saturday, 26 November 1938), p.1.
  2. Deaths: Beard, The West Australian, (Saturday, 27 December 1924), p.1.
  3. Obituaries: Mr. John Beard, The (Perth) Sunday Times, (Sunday, 11 January 1925), p.3.
  4. Deaths: Beard, The West Australian, (Monday, 10 September 1951), p.1.
  5. The Late Mrs. S. Beard, The Toodyay Herald, (Thursday, 4 October 1951), p.3.
  6. Marriages: Beard—Murphy, The West Australian, (Tuesday, 20 August 1935), p.1.
  7. Where Are They Now? Neville Beard
  8. Faul Championed, The (Perth) Mirror, (Saturday, 9 April 1932), p.5; Manzie, F.K. (Illustrated by Dick Ovenden), "Round the Training Rooms No.4: South Melbourne", Table Talk, Thursday, 22 June 1933), pp.10, 36.
  9. Men Behind the Team: Cr. A. Crofts' Tangible Interest, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 23 April 1932), p.1; Westward Ho!, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 14 January 1933), p.1; S.M.F.C. Social Event at Mt. Evelyn: Footballers from Crofts Stores Defeat Rest of Team, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 21 January 1933), p.2.
  10. The caricature at the foot of page 10 of Table Talk (22 June 1933) was created by Richard "Dick" Ovenden (1897-1972). From left to right those represented are: Jack Bisset, the team’s captain; Dick Mullaly, the club’s secretary; Brighton Diggins, from Subiaco (WAFL); Bert Beard, from South Fremantle (WAFL); Bill Faul, from Subiaco (WAFL); Jim O'Meara, from East Perth (WAFL); Frank Davies, from City (NTFA); Laurie Nash, from City (NTFA); John Bowe, from Subiaco (WAFL); Jack Wade, from Port Adelaide (SANFL); Ossie Bertram, from West Torrens (SANFL); and Wilbur Harris, from West Torrens (SANFL).
  11. Fitzroy Loses Three Men, The Argus, (Saturday, 14 March 1936), p.30.
  12. Bert Beard Bids "Farewell", (Saturday, 14 March 1936), p.4.
  13. Football, The West Australian, (Thursday, 25 June 1936), p.11.
  14. Claremont Meet Souths, The (Perth) Daily News, (Saturday, 4 July 1936), p.2; Close and Rugged, The West Australian, (Monday, 6 July 1936), p.4.
  15. Potter, H., "Football", The (Perth) Daily News, (Thursday, 15 April 1937), p.6.
  16. Bairnsdale Football Team: "Bluey" Beard to Coach, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 11 April 1938), p.3.
  17. Beard for Bairnsdale, The Argus, (Saturday, 9 April 1938), p.14.
  18. Gippsland Football League, The Gippsland Times, (Monday, 29 August 1938), p.7.
  19. "Blue" Beard to Coach South Districts, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 18 March 1939), p.3

References
  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
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