Eric William Beresford Woods (12 December 1892 – 12 August 1936) was an

Australian rules Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

footballer who played with

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL). Away from football he was a medical student, and after serving in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he returned to Australia and did not continue his VFL career.

Family

The son of William Cleaver Woods (1852–1943), and Margaret Mollie Woods (1864–1944), née Grieve, Eric William Beresford Woods was born at

Albury Albury (; ) is a major regional city that is located in the Murray River, Murray region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the twin city of Albury–Wodonga, Albury-Wodonga and is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of ...

, New South Wales on 12 December 1892. He married Mary Elizabeth Nugent (1898–1986) in 1923. They had twin sons, born in 1924.

Education

He was educated at

Scotch College, Melbourne Scotch College is a private, Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The college was established in 1851 as The Melbourne Academy in a house in Spri ...

, and at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, where he studied medicine, graduating Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) on 8 April 1916. Victorian team winners of the Sydney Carnival 22 August 1914 Chronicle pg 33

Victorian team winners of the Sydney Carnival 22 August 1914 Chronicle pg 33

Football

::Dr. Eric W. B. Woods, formerly of Hay, and a medical officer in the A.I.F., who died in a private hospital in Melbourne yesterday was one of Victoria's outstanding footballers in the years immediately preceding the war. He was the University full back between the years 1910 and 1914, when that team played in the League, and was selected as full back for Victoria in the Sydney carnival of 1914. ... In the opinion of

Gerald Brosnan Gerald Brosnan (14 August 1877 – 29 July 1965) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club in the early years of the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played as a key position forward and had an accurate left ...

, who coached University at that time and was a selector of the Victorian team, Woods was one of the greatest full backs the game has known. He was not only one of the longest drop kicks in living memory, but a brilliant mark. ''Sun News-Pictorial'', 13 August 1936. He played inter-university football for Melbourne University, and, in addition to playing in 34 matches for the University in the VFL competition over four seasons (1911 to 1914), he also played for the VFL at the

1914 Sydney Carnival The 1914 Sydney Carnival was the third edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian football interstate competition. It was held between Wednesday 5 August and Saturday 15 August 1914. As in previous competitions, players ...

Military service

He enlisted in the First AIF in November 1914, served overseas (as Sergeant Woods, 1455), and returned to Australia to complete his medical degree, graduated, re-enlisted, served overseas (now, as Captain Woods), and returned to Australia on 23 September 1919.Obituary: Dr. Eric Woods, ''The Riverine Grazier'', (Friday, 14 August 1936), p. 2.
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Military Cross

In August 1918 he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

: ::Captain ERIC WILLIAM BERESFORD WOODS, A.M.C.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. For several days he worked at his aid post under very heavy shell fire, attending to all stretcher cases in the open with great courage and complete disregard of danger. His untiring energy and organization saved many lives. The original recommendation for the award of the Military Cross, dated 2 October 1917, by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Stewart Davies, read as follows: ::Captain E.W.B. Woods, A.A.M.C. was in charge of the aid post of my Battalion iz., 32nd Australian Infantry Battalionwhen in the front line. At

Polygon Wood In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon' ...

near Hooge from the 28th. September to 1st. October 1917 the Pill-box was under heavy shell fire. Captain Woods had to treat all stretcher cases in the open which he did with great courage. His arrangements for getting extra men as stretcher bearers from Battalion at the right moment and his untiring energy undoubtedly saved many lives. He set a splendid example to all ranks.
collection of the ''Australian War Museum''.

Death

He died at a private hospital in Melbourne on 12 August 1936.Obituary: Dr. E.W.B. Woods, ''The Argus'', (Friday, 14 August 1936), p. 10.
/ref>

Notes

References

* Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007), ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed.'', Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
First World War Embarkation Roll: Captain Eric William Beredford (sic) Woods, collection of the ''Australian War Memorial''.

First World War Nominal Roll: Captain Eric William Woods, MC, collection of the ''Australian War Memorial''.

First World War Service Record: Captain Eric William Woods, ''National Archives of Australia''.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Woods, Eric 1892 births 1936 deaths Australian recipients of the Military Cross Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) University Football Club players Australian military personnel of World War I 20th-century Australian medical doctors