Harry Harker

Harry Harker
Personal information
Full name Harry S. Harker
Date of birth 22 December 1887
Date of death 21 June 1961(1961-06-21) (aged 73)
Original team(s) Brunswick (VFA)
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1920–1924 Melbourne 54 (146)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1924.

Harry S. Harker (22 December 1887 – 21 June 1961)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who originally played for the Brunswick Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and then played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Career

Originally from Gippsland, Harker played with Brunswick in the VFA for eight years, before making the decision to play for the Melbourne in the VFL, the highest level of Australian rules football competition at the time.[2] He debuted for the Demons on round 2 of the 1920 season against Essendon, at 32 years of age, making Harker the oldest player to ever debut for the Melbourne Football Club.

In his first three seasons, in 1920, 1921 and 1922, Harker was Melbourne's leading goal kicker,[2] with 23, 47 and 47 goals respectively. In the 1921 season, in round 21, Harker kicked ten goals against Geelong,[3] in his best performance in the VFL.[2] Melbourne won the match kicking 16 goals in total.[3] Harker still holds the record for the most goals kicked on the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in round 18.[3]

The 1923 season was, however, less successful for Harker, playing only six games, losing all of them and kicking just 13 goals. 1924 would be Harker's last season for Melbourne and his last in the VFL. It was a slight improvement on 1923, as he played seven games and kicked 16 goals, but, ultimately, Harker retired at the end of the season, playing his last game at 36 years of age and "regret[ing] that he had not gone to the VFL in the first place".[2]

Later life

Harker was the Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Brunswick from 1952 to 1954.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Harry Harker". Demonwiki. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Main, Jim; Holmesby, Russell (1992). The Encyclopedia of League Footballers. Melbourne, Victoria: Wilkinson Books. p. 173. ISBN 1-86337-085-4.
  3. 1 2 3 Miller, Allen, Panther, Carroll and Hutchinson (31 July 2010). "MCC Library Fact Sheet". Melbourne Cricket Club. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Past Treasurers". Rotary Club of Brunswick. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
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