George Coulthard

Infobox afl player | firstname = George
lastname = Coulthard




birthdate = birth date|1856|8|1|df=y
birthplace =
originalteam =
dead = dead
deathdate = death date and age|1883|10|22|1856|8|1|df=y
deathplace =
debutdate =
debutteam = Carlton
debutopponent =
debutstadium =
playingteams = Carlton (1876-1882)
coach = coach
coachingteams = notcoach
statsend = 2005
careerhighlights =

* triple "Champion of the Colony" 1876, 1877, 1879
* Carlton premiership (VFA) 1877
* VFA's leading goal kicker 3 times Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = Australian
country = Australia
country abbrev = AUS
name = George Coulthard
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = Right arm medium (RM)
tests = 1
test runs = 6
test bat avg = N/A
test 100s/50s = 0/0
test top score = 6*
test balls = 0
test wickets = 0
test bowl avg = n/a
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = n/a
test catches/stumpings = 0/0
FCs = 6
FC runs = 92
FC bat avg = 11.50
FC 100s/50s = 0/0
FC top score = 31
FC balls = 332
FC wickets = 5
FC bowl avg = 25.00
FC 5s = 0
FC 10s = 0
FC best bowling = 3/29
FC catches/stumpings = 3c
debut date = 17 February
debut year = 1882
last date = 21 February
last year = 1882
source = http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4635.html

George Coulthard (1 August 1856 in Boroondara, Victoria – 22 October 1883 in Carlton, Victoria) was a star Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and cricketer who played for the Melbourne Cricket Club, Victoria and briefly for Australia.

As a footballer, he won the coveted Champion Of The Colony award three times in 1876, 1877 and 1879.

As a cricketer he played only six first-class matches, five for Victoria and a Test match for Australia. He played in the first match between Victoria and South Australia, taking 3 wickets for 29. He was also a prominent umpire of the time, standing in two Test matches.

Off the field, Coulthard was a shopkeeper. He died at Lygon Street in 1883, at the age of 27 years, of tuberculosis after an illness of 16 months. He was married with a baby daughter.

Football career

Coulthard commenced with the Carlton club in the (then) Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1876. During a short seven-season career he became one of the Association's outstanding players. He won the Champion of the Colony award (the highest indivual award in the Association) three times, and was a crucial member of the Carlton team that won the inaugural VFA premiership in 1877.

He was said to have speed, grace and near-perfect balance. 'He is the grandest player of the day. It is doubtful if, for general excellence, his equal has ever been seen.' said "The Australasian" newspaper of the day.

On 1 July 1880 Coulthard was the umpire for an inter-colonial match between Melbourne and the Norwood Football Club from South Australia. He chose to wear all white and is thus football's first "man in white" (the traditional colour of umpires attire in Australian rules football).

Coulthard was vice-captain of Carlton in 1882 when events conspired to finish his career. He clashed with Joey Tankard of Hotham (later North Melbourne) and both were suspended. When they next played they came to blows again and the VFA suspended them both for the remainder of the season. It was to be his last game for Carlton.

In 1990 Coulthard was inducted to the Carlton Football Club Hall of Fame and in 1996 Coulthard was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Cricket career

Teams

International

*Australia

Australian colony

Pre State-based competition, which preceded Federation of Australia in 1901.
*Victoria

Victorian club

*Melbourne Cricket Club

Highlights

Colony

Coulthard played in the first first-class match between the colonies, representing Victoria against South Australia in November 1880.

Tests

Only Test: vs England, Sydney, 1881-1882
*His only Test batting score of 6 not out was made in this match. Although selected as a bowler, he did not bowl in the match.

Umpire

At the age of 22 Coulthard umpired the third Test cricket match played between Australia and England in Melbourne on 2 January to 4 January 1879. The match, which was won by Australia by 10 wickets, was notable for the first Test match hat-trick, achieved by Fred Spofforth of Australia. Coulthard's colleague was P. Coady.

As an umpire he was at the centre of an ugly incident that turned into a riot in Sydney in 1879 when he was officiating in a match between Lord Harris's England side and New South Wales at the Association Ground in Sydney. On the second day of the match, he called star NSW batsman Billy Murdoch run out. Independent witnesses said the decision was "close but fair", and was supported by the other umpire Edmund Barton, later to become Australia's first Prime Minister. However, NSW captain Dave Gregory demanded his replacement, claiming he was incompetent. The crowd subsequently invaded the pitch and play was suspended for the remainder of the day. When it resumed the following Monday - with the rioters back at work - Coulthard remained as umpire.

In 1882 Coulthard umpired his second Test match, a drawn match in Melbourne, noted mainly for George Ulyett scoring England's first Test hundred in Australia. His colleague in this match was James Lillywhite who had captained England in the first ever Test match in 1877.

ee also

*History of Test cricket (to 1883)
*Australian Test cricket umpires
*List of Test umpires

External links

*
* [http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerOverview.asp?PlayerID=0371 HowSTAT! statistical profile on George Coulthard]
* [http://www.blueseum.org/cfc/tiki-index.php?page=George+Coulthard&highlight=Coulthard Bluesium - Carlton Wiki]

References

* Pollard, Jack, "Australian Cricket: 1803-1893, The Formative Years". Sydney, The Book Company, 1995. (ISBN 0-207-15490-2)
*
* [http://prod.www.afl.cfour.com.au/Season2007/Awards/HallofFame/Players/tabid/856/Default.aspx AFL: Hall of Fame]