Jack Cooper (Australian rules footballer)

Infobox afl player | firstname = Jack
lastname = Cooper




birthdate = Birth date | 1889 | 2 | 21 | df=yes
birthplace =
Fitzroy North, Victoria
originalteam = North Fitzroy Juniors
heightweight = 178cm / 78 kg
dead =
deathdate = Death date and age|1917|9|20|1889|2|21|df=yes
deathplace = Polygon Wood,
Belgium
debutdate = 27 April, 1907 (Round 1)
debutteam =
Fitzroy
debutopponent = Collingwood
debutstadium =
Victoria Park
playingteams = Fitzroy (1907-1915)
* 136 games, 8 goals
coach =
coachingteams =
statsend = 1915
careerhighlights =
:"For other persons named Jack Cooper, see Jack Cooper."John Thomas "Jack" Cooper (21 February, 1889 — 20 September, 1917) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

He died in action, whilst serving in the First A.I.F., during the Battle of Passchendaele.

Early life

Jack Cooper was the son of Fred and Florence Cooper. He was born in Fitzroy North on 21 February, 1889, and he attended the Alfred Crescent State School in Fitzroy North. [Main & Allen (2002), p.39. [http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/a/0/5/doc/a05331.shtml Photograph of Alfred Crescent School, Fitzroy North, circa 1908] ] In his youth he was a fine cricketer as well as a highly talented footballer, and went on to be a regular player with the Fitzroy Footballers Cricket Club. [Main & Allen (2002), p.40.]

He worked for the company of Fitzroy Football Club's President, D.J. "Don" Chandler, as a storeman.Main & Allen, D., (2002), p.41.]

He and his wife, Margaret M. Cooper, resided at 38 York Street, Fitzroy North. [ [http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/awm8/23_25_5/pdf/0265.pdf First World War Embarkation Roll: Private John Thomas Cooper (4753)] ; [http://www.awm.gov.au/roh/person.asp?p=145-11370 Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Lance-Corporal John Thomas Cooper (4753)] .]

Footballer

A somewhat thick-set man at 5' 10" (178cm) and 12st 4lbs (78kg), Cooper was a champion half-back. Recruited from the local team North Fitzroy Juniors, he played his first senior VFL game for the Fitzroy Football Club against Collingwood on 27 April, 1907 at Victoria Park. In his first season he played 11 matches and scored 1 goal. [ [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1907/7/player_roundbyround_7_1907.shtml?club_idIndex=5&season_idIndex=100 AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): Fitzroy Football Club 1907] .]

In 1912, after he had been appointed captain of the Fitzroy senior team,a contemporary report spoke of the tough, speedy, skillful, and tenacious Cooper as follows:quote| It would be difficult to select a back man to beat him, although he is rather on the small side. He makes up for his lack of inches with tenacity and pluck.
He sticks to his man all day with a stubbornness commendable to fighter or footballer. He has great dash — the quality of being able to get to the ball in the lead, which all true backmen must have — and he can handle the ball when he reaches it. Handling a football when running is a fine art. The finished player nowadays does not grab the ball with both hands when he reaches it. He scoops it up, as it were, with one hand, as he continues his run.
Anybody can pick up a football when he has plenty of time to seize it, but the crack player must be able to pick up the ball without relaxing his speed. Cooper is an expert at handling the ball but, above all, he is a battler. [Main & Allen (2002), p.40; although they are quoting directly from what they characterize as a "contemporary report", Main & Allen do not provide any further identification of their source.]

He played in the Fitzroy team that won the 1913 premiership [ [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1913/7/player_roundbyround_7_1913.shtml?club_idIndex=5&season_idIndex=94 AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): Fitzroy Football Club 1913] ] by defeating St Kilda 7.14 (56) to 5.13 (43) in the 1913 Grand Final Match; [ [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1913.html#fin AFL Statistics 1913 Season Finals] .] he was one of Fitzroy's best players in that match. He was the Fitzroy club's best and fairest player in both the 1911 and 1914 seasons (see Fitzroy FC honour roll#1910-1919), and he was the Fitzroy team captain in 1912, and its vice-captain from 1913 to 1915.

He also played eight games for Victoria, including the match against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval on 10 August, 1912, when he captained the Victorian team that lost to South Australia 9.8 (62) to 6.7 (43). [Ross (1996), pp.79,93.]

In his career with Fitzroy he played 136 senior games and scored 8 goals. [ [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jack_Cooper2.html AFL Statistics: Jack Cooper] .]

He played his last senior VFL game for Fitzroy on Saturday 11 September, 1915, in the 1915 Preliminary Final, [ [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1915/7/player_roundbyround_7_1915.shtml?club_idIndex=5&season_idIndex=92 AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): Fitzroy Football Club 1915] ] that was won by Carlton 6.18 (54) to 5.8 (38). [ [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1915.html#fin AFL Statistics 1915 Season Finals] .]

Dealings with VFL Tribunal

He was reported once in his playing career, in the 14 August, 1909 match against Carlton at the Brunswick Street Oval, for "charging and striking"; he was suspended for 12 weeks. [ [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/tribunal/1/1909/All/tribunal_1_all_1909.shtml?competition_group_idIndex=0&season_idIndex=99&guiltyIndex=0 AFL Tribunal Records 1909] .]

In the 26 June, 1915 match against Carlton at the Brunswick Street Oval, a former Fitzroy player, the Carlton centre half-back and team captain Billy Dick, [Dick had played 53 senior games and kicked 40 goals in three seasons with Fitzroy (1908-1910) before transferring to Carlton, where he played another 100 senior games and kicked another 35 goals (1911-1918) [http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Billy+Dick Blueseum Biography: Billy Dick] ; [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/d.htm#Billy%20Dick%20(Fitzroy%20&%20Carlton) Full Points Footy Biography: Billy Dick] ; [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/B/Billy_Dick.html AFL Statistics: Billy Dick] .] was reported for striking Cooper; Dick was suspended for 10 weeks. [ [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/tribunal/1/1915/All/tribunal_1_all_1915.shtml?competition_group_idIndex=0&season_idIndex=93&guiltyIndex=0 AFL Tribunal Records 1915] ; [http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Round+10%2C+1915 Blueseum Match Report: Round 10, 1915] .]

Soldier

He enlisted in the 8th Battalion of the First A.I.F. on 8 November, 1915 [He was in the intake referred to as the "Fifteenth Reinforcements" [http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/awm8/23_25_5/pdf/0265.pdf First World War Embarkation Roll: Private John Thomas Cooper (4753)] .] and left for France on the troopship "Wiltshire" on 7 March, 1916. [ [http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/ww1/1aif/1div/02bde/8th_battalion_aif.htm First AIF, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade, 8th Battalion (Victoria)] .]

In France, Cooper saw action in the Battle of the Somme. He was only in the trenches for a short time when he was so badly gassed that once his immediate discomfort had been dealt with, he was repatriated to England to allow him to recuperate.Main & Allen, D., (2002), p.42.]

Having recuperated fully, he played for the (losing) Australian Training Units team in the famous October 1916 Exhibition match that was held in London, just before returning to active service in France. Most likely through the effects of the gas, Cooper's throat continued to give him a lot of trouble (he almost lost his voice) and, once again, he was repatriated to England.

Although he was sent to Aldershot for officer training, he never rose above the rank of Lance-Corporal.

He returned to France once more and was killed in action in Belgium, at Polygon Wood, during the Battle of Passchendaele on 20 September, 1917. His remains were never recovered.

ee also

* The "Pioneer Exhibition Game" in London (1916)
* VFL/AFL players who died in active service
* Fitzroy FC honour roll

Footnotes

References

* Main, J. & Allen, D., "Cooper, Jack", pp.39-42 in Main, J. & Allen, D., "Fallen — The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War", Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-740-95010-0
* 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

External links

* [http://www.awm.gov.au/roh/person.asp?p=145-11370 Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Lance-Corporal John Thomas Cooper (4753)]
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/nominalrolls/ww1/page.asp?Folder=11&Page=21&Surname=cooper Australian War Memorial First World War Nominal Roll (Cooper, John Charles - Cooper, Joseph Tinsley)]
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/awm8/23_25_5/pdf/0265.pdf First World War Embarkation Roll: Private John Thomas Cooper (4753)]
* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jack_Cooper2.html AFL Statistics: Jack Cooper]
* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/co-cz.htm#Jack%20Cooper%20(Fitzroy) Full Points Footy Biography: Jack Cooper]
* [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1907/7/player_roundbyround_7_1907.shtml?club_idIndex=5&season_idIndex=100 AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): Fitzroy Football Club 1907]
* [http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/a/0/5/doc/a05331.shtml Photograph of Alfred Crescent School, Fitzroy North, circa 1908]
* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1913.html#fin AFL Statistics 1913 Season Finals]
* [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1913/7/player_roundbyround_7_1913.shtml?club_idIndex=5&season_idIndex=94 AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): Fitzroy Football Club 1913]
* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1915.html#fin AFL Statistics 1915 Season Finals]
* [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1915/7/player_roundbyround_7_1915.shtml?club_idIndex=5&season_idIndex=92 AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): Fitzroy Football Club 1915]