Ronald William Shapter (1 July 1905 – 3 November 1977) 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 with

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...

, Fitzroy and

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

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) during the 1930s. A ruckman and forward from Gelong Junior Football Association (GJFA) club Queenscliff, Shapter was 24 when he made his VFL debut in the opening round of the 1930 season, with future club great

Bob Pratt Harold Robert "Bob" Pratt (31 August 1912 – 6 January 2001) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans, South Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL) and ...

also playing his first game. He spent just two seasons at South Melbourne, both under coach Paddy Scanlan, but didn't miss any of the club's first 17 games while he was at the club. After struggling to command a regular place in the team in

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

, Shapter left for Fitzroy, while South Melbourne would two years later win the premiership. He made only one appearance for Fitzroy in

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

but cemented a spot in the lineup from round six of the

1933 VFL season The 1933 VFL season was the 37th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs and ran from 29 April to 30 September, comprising an 18 ...

only to be on the outer again in

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

. Shapter spent 1935 as captain-coach

Port Melbourne Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of the Melbourne central business district, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Port Phillip, Port Phillip Local government ...

in 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 ...

. The left footer returned to the VFL the following year, with Essendon, but could only add two more senior games to his tally. He then returned to his original club Queenscliff as their captain-coach.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapter, Ron 1905 births 1977 deaths Sydney Swans players Fitzroy Football Club players Essendon Football Club players Port Melbourne Football Club players Port Melbourne Football Club coaches Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)