Roy James Harper (29 March 1929 – 15 August 2023) 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 Footscray 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). A centreman and half forward from Hampton, Harper started his senior career with 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 ...

in 1949, and built a strong reputation as he won the Sandringham best and fairest in each of 1949 and 1951. He was cleared to Footscray in the VFL in 1952; he played 34 games in his first two seasons with Footscray, but only six games in from 1954 to mid-1955. He was cleared back to Sandringham in mid-1955, and played there again until 1957. Harper's brother

Bruce Harper Bruce S. Harper (born June 20, 1955) is an American former professional football running back and return specialist who played for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kutztown Golden Bear ...

was also an Australian rules footballer, who kicked 534 goals in 155 games for and was a two-time VFA leading goalkicker.

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External links

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Roy Harper's playing statistics
from The VFA Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, Roy 1929 births 2023 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Western Bulldogs players Sandringham Football Club players 20th-century Australian sportsmen