A ROBINVALE/CARLTON LEGEND

As a 10 year old non sporty girl in 1965 I had no idea what a big deal Mr James was when he came to Robinvale Consolidated School to teach us English.  In fact, we had a few disagreements about spelling, but in the end no hard feelings.  He was of course a HUGE deal for our local footy team, The Eagles, and presided over a major turnaround in the team’s fortunes.  A lovely man, and an important part of the fabric of our town’s history!

The following is information from Wikipedia John James Wikipedia

John James (18 January 1934 – 8 December 2010) was a leading Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

He won the Brownlow Medal, the highest individual honour in the sport, in 1961.  Recruited from St. Patrick’s College, Ballarat,[1] James played for the Carlton Football Club from 1953 to 1963, playing 195 games. He finished third in the 1957 Brownlow Medal count and won the award in 1961.[1] He won the Carlton Best and Fairest three times (in 1955, 1960 and 1961). James was named on the half-back flank in the Carlton Team of the Century. In his debut season, James played off a half-forward flank and booted the terribly inaccurate figures of eight goals, 43 behinds. Throughout his career he played in a variety of positions, including the backline.

After his retirement in 1963, he went to coach Robinvale.[1]  James died in Robinvale, Victoria, on 8 December 2010, following a stroke.[2]\

 

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