Shadrach Garfield James (30 November 1917 – 20 November 1973) was an

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

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.

Family

Shadrach Garfield James was born in Echuca on 30 November 1917 as the son of Indigenous Australian activist Shadrach Livingstone James and Maggie James, née Campbell. James was a cousin of Sir Doug Nicholls and this reference states he was born in

Wahgunyah Wahgunyah is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia. The town is on the southern bank of the Murray River, opposite Corowa, New South Wales, in the Shire of Indigo. Wahgunyah is north east of the state capital, Melbourne and west of Al ...

, Victoria.

Playing career

In 1938, James kicked 115 goals for the

Mooroopna Mooroopna is a town located north of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River (Victoria), Goulburn River opposite the larger town of Shepparton. The Midland Highway (Victoria), Midland Highw ...

in the

Goulburn Valley Football Association The Goulburn Valley Football Association (GVFA) is an Australian rules football competition that was first established in 1888 in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria, Australia, with the foundation clubs being Cobram, Muckatah, Nathalia, Numurkah ...

, including another 13 during the finals for a total of 128, in which he played Mooroopna's 1940 losing grand final side. In 1939,

Brocklesby Brocklesby is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the West Lindsey Non-metropolitan district, district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated south of Habrough, south-west of Immingham, it is located close to the borde ...

kicked 34.24 - 228 against Cookardinia, with "Shady" James kicking 19 goals to eclipse Brocklesby's previous best of 14 goals by

Vin Smith Alfred Vincent Smith (23 January 1914 – 17 February 1995) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Hawthorn granted Smith a clearance to the Brocklesby Football Club, NSW where the ...

. James kicked five goals for Brocklesby in the 1939

Albury & District Football League The Albury & District Football League was established at a delegates meeting in Culcairn in 1930 from the following Australian Rules Football clubs – Albury Rovers, Culcairn, Henty and Holbrook and folded after the 1957 football season. History ...

premiership. All up, James kicked 82 goals in the home and away series plus 16 goals in the finals, for a total of 98 goals in 17 games in 1939. James commenced training with Fitzroy in 1940 with a number of other players from the

and played 18 matches for Fitzroy 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 ...

between 1940 and 1941. James, a left footer, was the fourth Indigenous Australian to play for Fitzroy. In 1943, James' brother, Rupert was signed up to Fitzroy. In 1946, James was club secretary and coach of the All Blacks Football Club in the

Central Goulburn Valley Football League The Central Goulburn Valley Football League (CGVFL) was an Australian Rules Football League based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria. The CGVFL was originally established as the Ardmona Central Junior Football Association in 1923, before bei ...

and kicked nine goals in their grand final win against Toolamba. James went onto play with various club's throughout the Goulburn Valley and North East Victoria and played football well into the late 1940's, as he played in Wangaratta's 1948 losing

Ovens & 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 ...

preliminary final side.

External links

*
1939 - Albury & DFL semi final team: Brocklesby FC team photo1939 - Albury & District Football League Premiers: Brocklesby FC team photo

References

1917 births 1973 deaths Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football Fitzroy Football Club players Mooroopna Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) 20th-century Australian sportsmen {{AFL-bio-1917-stub