George William "Tich" Shorten (19 March 1901 – 26 June 1973) was an
Australian rules football
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 ...
er who played for
Essendon Essendon may refer to:
Australia
*Essendon, Victoria
**Essendon railway station
**Essendon Airport
*Essendon Football Club, in the Australian Football League
*Electoral district of Essendon
*Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington
United Kin ...
in the
VFL during the 1920s.
Shorten was the lightest player in Essendon's famed "Mosquito Fleet", with estimates on his weight ranging from 47 to 51 kg, making him the lightest player in league history.
Although primarily a rover he was also seen on the half forward flanks, where he played the
1923 VFL Grand Final and was named "Best on Ground".
He also participated in Essendon's premiership the following season and in 1925 represented Victoria in three interstate matches.
Shorten finished equal second in the 1924 Brownlow Medal, one vote behind the inaugural winner
Edward Greeves.
Shorten was appointed coach of
St. Patrick's Football Club in the
Ovens and Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL or O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales ...
in May, 1927 and lead them to a premiership in his first year.
Shorten played with St. Patrick's Football Club, but did not coach them in 1928.
References
*
*Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers''. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
External links
1928 - O&MFL runners up: St. Patrick's team photo
1901 births
Australian rules footballers from Melbourne
Essendon Football Club players
Essendon Football Club premiership players
1973 deaths
VFL/AFL premiership players
People from Kensington, Victoria
20th-century Australian sportsmen
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