Vic Cumberland

Vic Cumberland
Personal information
Full name Harry Vivian Cumberland
Date of birth (1877-07-04)4 July 1877
Place of birth Tasmania
Date of death 15 July 1927(1927-07-15) (aged 50)
Original team(s) Brighton (Tasmania)
Height / weight 182 cm / 86.5 kg
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1898–1901
1903–1904
1905–1906
1907–1908
1909–1911
1912–1915;
1920
Total
Melbourne
St Kilda
Auckland Imperial
St Kilda
Sturt
St Kilda
50 (15)
26 (20)
32
28 (20)
39 (33)
72 (32)

215 (120)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
Victoria
South Australia
3 (3)
9
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1920.
Career highlights

Harold Vivian "Vic" Cumberland (4 July 1877 – 15 July 1927), also known as Harry Cumberland,[1] was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

The youngest son of Perrygring and Lillian Cumberland,[2] he was born in Tasmania, on 4 July 1877. His older, much taller and much heavier brother, Cec Cumberland, played five senior VFL games for Melbourne in 1899 alongside Vic — and, due his brother's size, weight, and seniority, Vic was often referred to as "Little" Cumberland.[3]

Initially playing senior football in Tasmania, Cumberland returned to Victoria and played with VFL club Melbourne from 1898 to 1901. Later he had several periods at rival VFL club St Kilda, starting in 1903. In 1905 and 1906 Cumberland spent time in New Zealand and played for the Auckland Imperial Football Club in the Australian Football League of Auckland.

After returning to Australia and another stint with St Kilda, Cumberland moved to South Australia in 1909 to play with SANFL club Sturt, winning the league's Magarey Medal award as the fairest and most brilliant in 1911, his final year with the club.[4]

Although only 182 cm, Cumberland was immensely strong and a natural running ruckman. He was a strong mark and an excellent long kick, especially renowned for his place-kicks, with the skill to grab the ball from the ruck and handpass to a team-mate.[5]

Cumberland was — and still is to this day — the oldest player to ever play VFL football; he was 43 years of age when he retired.[6] He went to World War I (First AIF Service Number 2886) and was wounded three times.[5]

In 1927, Cumberland was involved in an accident when he was riding his motorbike in Ferntree Gully, Victoria and hit a cow. He died in hospital several months later, on 15 July 1927.[7]

Notes

  1. Ross (1996), has him as "Vic Cumberland" at pp.41, 58, 59, 64, 82, 83, 104; yet, on pp.125, he has him as "Harry Cumberland" — and the entire set of pages is indexed on p.374 under "Harry Cumberland". Also see Full Points Footy Biography: Harry Cumberland where he is listed as "Harry Cumberland".
  2. Deaths: Cumberland, The Argus, (Saturday, 16 July 1927), p.13.
  3. Harry Cumberland Dead: Great Sturt Footballer: Widespread Tributes, (Adelaide) News, (Friday, 22 July 1927), p.4.
  4. Harry Cumberland Dead: Great Sturt Footballer: Widespread Tributes, (Adelaide) News, (Friday, 22 July 1927), p.4.
  5. 1 2 Ross, (1999), p.56.
  6. Hanlon, Peter. "Vic Cumberland, the footballer who proved there's life after 40". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  7. Footballer's Death, The Argus, (Saturday, 16 July 1927), p.31.

References

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