Wally Lock

Wally Lock
Personal information
Full name Walter Albert Lock
Date of birth (1917-01-22)22 January 1917
Place of birth Maryborough, Victoria
Date of death 17 June 1992(1992-06-17) (aged 75)
Original team(s) Maryborough
Height / weight 180 cm / 83 kg
Position(s) Half back flank
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1936–41, 1946–49 Melbourne 140 (14)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1949.
Career highlights

Walter Albert "Wally" Lock (22 January 1917 – 17 June 1992)[1][2] was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

VFL career

Recruited from Maryborough, Lock began playing for Melbourne in 1936 as a half forward flanker and was known as the "Bunton" of Melbourne in his early years.[3] In 1939, Lock missed out in playing in the Demons' premiership, due to being suspended. In 1940, Lock again missed being a part of Melbourne's premiership team, after being injured in the preliminary final. He was, however, one of Melbourne's best players, his performance described as "outstanding", in their 1941 premiership side.[4]

In 1942 Lock enlisted in the Australian Army to serve in World War II. He held the rank of corporal and served in the 4th Field Ambulance. He was discharged on 4 January 1946 after the conclusion of WWII.[5]

After being discharged from the Army, Lock began playing for Melbourne again in 1946. He was Melbourne's best and fairest in 1947.[6] He was also named in the Sporting Life "Team of the Year" in 1947. In 1948 Lock injured his knee in a semi final[3] and again missed out on playing in a Melbourne premiership. After playing only four games in 1949 due to the knee injury suffered in 1948, Lock retired in the 1950 pre-season when he found out the knee was "not likely to respond to treatment".[7]

Legacy

Lock was made a life member of the Melbourne Football Club in 1946.[8] Lock was a boyhood hero of Ron Barassi.[9] Barassi described Lock as someone who "combined strength with guile and football intelligence" and "was dashing and played with flair".[10] He was named on the interchange bench in Melbourne's official 'Team of the Century'.[11]

References

Footnotes
  1. ↑ "Wally Lock - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "genealogy". ancestry.com. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 Beames, Percy (21 September 1948). "Lock May Not Play Again". The Age. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. ↑ Hobbs (1984), pp. 42–43
  5. ↑ "LOCK, WALTER ALBERT". WW2 Nominal Roll. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  6. ↑ Hobbs (1984), p. 144
  7. ↑ Taylor, Percy (20 March 1950). "WAL LOCK WILL NOT PLAY AGAIN Melbourne loses star.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848–1954). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. p. 18. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  8. ↑ Hobbs (1984), p. 24
  9. ↑ "Barassi's special mark". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 May 1995. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  10. ↑ Holroyd, Jane (1 June 2005). "THOUGHTS ON SPORT – RON BARASSI". The Age. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  11. ↑ Ward, Janelle (14 March 2008). "2008 Player profiles". The Age. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
Sources

Hobbs, Greg (1984). 125 yrs of the Melbourne Demons. Jolimont: Progress Press Group. ISBN 0-9590694-0-2. 

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