Bruce Andrew

Infobox afl player | firstname = Bruce
lastname = Andrew




birthdate = 2 or 28 February 1908
birthplace =
originalteam =
heightweight = 174 cm / 69 kg
dead =
deathdate = death date and age|1996|06|06|1908|02|02|df=y or
death date and age|1996|06|06|1908|28|02|df=y
deathplace =
debutdate = 1928
debutteam = Collingwood
debutopponent =
debutstadium =
playingteams = Collingwood (1928-1934)
* 67 games 11 goals
coach =
coachingteams =
statsend = 1934
careerhighlights =
* Collingwood Premiership player 1928, 1930.
* Best on ground: 1930 Grand Final.

* Vice-President Collingwood F.C. (1933-1940)
* Field Director Australian National Football Council (ANFC) (1949-1976)
* Secretary ANFC (1950-1976)
* Panellist HSV-7, World of Sport (1960-1980)
* Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee (1996)

Bruce Andrew (28 February 1908 – 6 June 1996) was an Australian rules footballer, who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) before becoming a football administrator and television commentator.

His services to the VFL were honoured by the awarding of VFL Life Membership, and his subsequent induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Famous for his centre-parting — " [his] hair was parted so emphatically down the centre that it was claimed he used a theodolite" (Ross, 1996, p220) — Bruce Andrew was light framed wingman, and 318th player to play for Collingwood's senior team. [http://www.afl.com.au/collingwoodfc/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5586/newsId/7089/default.aspx] He was considered to be one of the fastest wingmen in the competition, and had good all round skills, although he was rather injury prone.

He played his first senior game in 1928, and between 1928 and 1934 (he did not play a senior game in 1933) for a career total of 62 games. He was a member of both the 1928 and the 1930 Collingwood premiership teams, and was best on the ground in the 1930 Grand Final.

On one occasion his individual brilliance and intelligent initiative was his downfall. Collingwood coach Jock McHale always insisted that his players remained in their position's set location at all times. Twice during one match, Bruce Andrew raced away from his position on the wing, and ran deeply into the forward line to kick two scintillating goals. Rather than being congratulated, he was immediately taken off the field by McHale — which meant, in those days, before the concept of "interchange", that Andrew was off the ground for the rest of the match — who told him "We've got bloody forwards to do that!". [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/collingwood_(2).htm#19a]

Once his playing career was over Andrew enjoyed an illustrious career as a football administrator and journalist.His administrative career spanned 43 years and included:
* Collingwood vice-president 1933-1940;
* Australian National Football Council (ANFC) field director 1949-1976; and
* ANFC Secretary 1950-1976;

He was also a panellist onHSV-7's World of Sport from 1960-1980; and, especially, he judged the long-kicking competitions.

Andrew was inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

References

* Ross, J. (ed), "100 Years of Australian Football 1897-1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported", Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
*cite book |last=Ross |first=John |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Australian Football Hall of Fame |year=1999 |publisher=HarperCollinsPublishers |location=Australia |id=ISBN 0-7322-6426-X | pages=p. 141

External links

* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/B/Bruce_Andrew1.html AFL Statistics: Bruce Andrew]
* [http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/Awards/HallofFame/Administrators/tabid/859/Default.aspx AFL Hall of Fame: Bruce Andrew]
* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/a.htm#Bruce%20Andrew%20(Collingwood) Full Points Footy Profile: Bruce Andrew]