Henry Francis "Soapy" Vallence (4 June 1905 – 25 July 1991) was a champion

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 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) and the

Victorian Football Association 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 ...

(VFA). He played at full-forward for the VFL's

Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club based at Princes Park (stadium), Princes Park in Carlton North, Victoria, Carlton North, an inner suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The c ...

in the 1930s, and in the 1940s for the VFA's Williamstown and Brighton Football Clubs.

Family

The son of Michael Vallence and Mary Ann Vallence, née Pattinson, Henry Francis Vallence was born in

Bacchus Marsh, Victoria Bacchus Marsh (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is a town in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, located approximately north-west of the state capital Melbourne, at a near equidistance to the major cities of Melb ...

, on 4 June 1905. He married Lorna Josephine Bliss (1915–1996) on 17 June 1940.

Football

Carlton (VFL)

Originally from

Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh ( Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is a town in Victoria, Australia, located approximately north-west of the state capital Melbourne, at a near equidistance to the major cities of Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong. As of the ...

, in 1926 he came to Carlton as a half-forward. He soon moved to full-forward, where he became known for his safe hands and mighty kick. He kicked 11 goals in a match on four occasions—twice in finals.

Williamstown (VFA)

In 1937, he left Carlton to play with

Williamstown Football Club The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed the Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown, Victoria, Williamstown. The club currently competes in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFL Wome ...

in the

as captain-coach. His dispute with Carlton arising when he returned from representing Victoria in an interstate match to find himself selected at centre half-back in the seconds' grade.

Carlton (VFL)

He was lured back to Carlton for the 1938 season, helping to secure the Blues' first premiership in 23 years.

Williamstown (VFA)

Vallence returned again to Williamstown in 1939, this time playing under the Association's throw-pass rules adopted in 1938. In 1939, Vallence kicked 133 goals and helped Williamstown to a premiership, and he kicked another 111 goals in 1940. On 24 May 1941, Vallence achieved two significant milestones: he kicked a career-high twenty goals against

Sandringham Sandringham can refer to: Places Australia * Sandringham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Sandringham, Queensland, a rural locality * Sandringham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne **Sandringham railway line **Sandringham railway station * ...

and brought up his 1000th career goal across both the League and Association. His career with Williamstown ended after 1941, when the competition went into recess during World War II.

Carlton (VFL)

He was captain-coach of the Carlton Reserves for three seasons (1942–1944).

Brighton (VFA)

Vallence resumed playing after World War II as the captain-coach at

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, where he played his last game in 1946 (kicking 11 goals).Devaney, J., , Retrieved 30 October 2010. Vallence played 204 games and kicked 722 goals for Carlton in his career; the latter was a club record until broken by

Stephen Kernahan Stephen Scott Kernahan (born 1 September 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and for the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football ...

in 1997. He scored a further 337 goals for Williamstown, 88 for Brighton, and 19 in representative games for Victoria, for a career total of 1166 goals.

Death

He died on 25 July 1991 of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

in Geelong Hospital.

Recognition

In 1996, Vallence was inducted into the

Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the 1996 AFL season, centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media pe ...

Footnotes

References

* The Australian Encyclopaedia, v.4, Grollier, 1963, p. 140
Soapy has them roaring again, ''The Argus'', (Tuesday, 16 August 1955), p.18.

Family

Football

Carlton (VFL)

Williamstown (VFA)

Carlton (VFL)

Williamstown (VFA)

Carlton (VFL)

Brighton (VFA)

Death

Recognition

Footnotes

References

External links