George Green (rugby league)
Edward George Green (born 17 December 1883 in Grafton, New South Wales), is reputed to have been the first Indigenous Australian to play rugby league at first-grade level in Australia. He played for the club sides Eastern Suburbs (1908–11) and North Sydney (1912–16), (1918–22) in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership.
A utility forward, Green made his debut playing for the Eastern Suburbs club in 1908 season, rugby league's founding year in Australia. He played in the Eastern suburbs side in 1911, the year that club won their first premiership. He moved to the North Sydney club the following year where he played out the remainder of his top-grade career. In 1916 Green Captained the North Sydney club and was a vice-captain with the club in its only two premiership winning seasons – 1921 and 1922.
Green, who has been described as "scholarly" and "trend-setting"[1] was a crowd favourite, a whole-hearted player who often came up with an important play at vital times in a match. Both on and off the field Green is described as being a gentleman.
Green was made a vice president of the North Sydney club. Following his retirement from the major rugby league competition in Australia, Green spent time coaching the Cessnock club in rural New South Wales.
The George Green Medal, an award for Indigenous Australian rugby league players, was named in his honour. The Medal was first awarded in 2008.[2]
Green's apparent Aboriginality has come into question with University of Western Sydney historian Andrew Moore's suggestion that Green's father was actually of Afro-Caribbean origin. During his lifetime Green told people that he was Polynesian or Maori.[3]
References [edit]
- ^ Headon, David (October 1999). "Up From the Ashes: The Phoenix of a Rugby League Literature" (pdf). Football Studies Volume 2, Issue 2. Football Studies Group. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
- ^ "Honours flow for green Sandow". Fox Sports News (Australia). 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ Andrew Moore (8 November 2008). "The wrong man". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
Sources [edit]
- The Mighty Bears; Andrew Moore
- History Of The NSW Rugby League Finals; Steve Haddan
External links [edit]
|
|||||
|
|||||
