Spike Pola

Jack Stephen "Spike" Pola (born Giovanni Stefano Pola; 16 November 1914 – 6 January 2012) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the West Perth Football Club in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL).

Spike Pola
Personal information
Full name Jack Stephen Pola
Nickname(s) Spike
Date of birth (1914-11-16)16 November 1914
Place of birth Fremantle, Western Australia
Date of death 6 January 2012(2012-01-06) (aged 97)
Place of death Mount Lawley, Western Australia
Original team(s) Mount Hawthorn (MJFA)
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[1]
Weight 10 st 3 lb (65 kg; 143 lb)[1]
Position(s) Rover
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
1935–47 West Perth 152 (203)
Career highlights

Born in Fremantle in 1914, Pola anglicised his name in 1928 on the advice of his mother, to preempt on-field ridicule during a state schoolboys' football carnival.[2] Originally playing for Mount Hawthorn in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association, he soon progressed to a West Perth team playing in the Western Australian National Football Association (WANFA), which acted as a sort of reserves team for the senior club. In July 1935, he was selected in a WANFA representative side which toured the Goldfields.[1] He made his senior debut for West Perth later that year. In 1941, Pola was named captain of West Perth, having served as vice-captain the previous year, and also played in West Perth's premiership side. He also shared the 1941 Breckler Medal, awarded to the club's best and fairest player, with Ted O'Keefe.[3] Pola joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in January 1943 as a leading aircraftman, and was discharged in February 1945.[4] He returned to West Perth in 1945, and was again named captain, although only for one season, retiring two years later, after 152 games and kicked 203 goals for the club. Pola died in January 2012 at his home in Mount Lawley, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. He was the last surviving member of the 1941 premiership team.[5]

References
  1. The Association Side – The West Australian. Published 9 July 1935. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  2. Grand finale for Spike Archived 6 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine – wafootball.com.au. Published 25 January 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  3. West Perth Football Club Medallists – West Perth Football Club (Inc). Retrieved from iinet.net.au, 8 February 2012.
  4. POLA, JACK STEPHEN – WW2 Nominal Roll. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  5. Cowan, Sean (2012). Pola last link with great West Perth team – The West Australian. Published 10 January 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
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