James Arthur Francis (12 December 1910 – 16 November 2004) 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 and coach 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).

Family

The son of Henry Walter Francis (1883–1964) and Sarah Victoria Francis, née Jackson (1884–1929), James Arthur Francis was born in Hawthorn on 12 December 1910. His brothers

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and Syd also played VFL football, both for Hawthorn. In 1937, James Francis married Shirley Louise King at St. Stephens Church of England in Richmond.

Football

Hawthorn

After playing 61 games for Hawthorn, Francis left the Hawks in controversial circumstances, due to a disagreement with the club and his family's sports store. Francis wanted the club to order their uniforms through his store, but when Hawthorn secretary Sam Ramsay refused, he asked for a clearance to Carlton.

Carlton

Francis made his debut for the

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 round 9 of the 1934 season. He retired as a player at the end of the 1943 season having played 162 games and was later appointed coach of the Blues from 1956 to 1958. Under his tenure the Blues struggled, despite having a good side on paper, and Francis was sacked in 1958. Francis was bitter about the firing and never spoke to his former close friend and Carlton coaching successor Ken Hands again.

St Kilda

Francis was appointed

St Kilda Football Club The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league. The club's name originates fro ...

senior coach for 1959–60, again achieving modest on-field results.

Death

Jim Francis died on 16 November 2004 and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery.

References

External links

Jim Francis
at Blueseum St Kilda Football Club coaches 1910 births Carlton Football Club players Carlton Football Club premiership players Hawthorn Football Club players Carlton Football Club coaches John Nicholls Medal winners Australian rules footballers from Melbourne 2004 deaths VFL/AFL premiership players People from Hawthorn, Victoria {{AFL-bio-1910-stub