Edgar Croft

Edgar Ashton Fortescue Croft (7 May 1872 – 22 September 1946)[3] was an Australian rules football player for the Essendon Football Club. He played in three seasons for the Bombers, playing 15 matches and scoring 12 goals. He has the unique distinction of scoring Essendon's very first League goal.[4]

Edgar Croft
Personal information
Full name Edgar Ashton Fortescue Croft
Date of birth 7 May 1872[1]
Place of birth Carlton, Victoria
Date of death 22 September 1946(1946-09-22) (aged 74)[2]
Place of death Richmond, Victoria
Original team(s) Scotch College / Richmond City
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1897–1899 Essendon 15 (12)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1899.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

He is famous for kicking the sealing goal for Essendon against Melbourne in the match that would decide the 1897 premiership. Under the farcical round robin finals series of 1897, Essendon needed to win their final match against Melbourne to win the flag. Croft kicked the only goal of the game, after a shocking kick by Essendon player Charlie Forbes skewed into the pocket for Croft to mark and goal.[5]

Croft was known to have suffered many dislocations and fractures which caused him to miss a lot of games. Croft stayed involved at the club for years after his playing career, as a patron until 1918.[2]

Croft died in 1946.[2]

References
  1. "Family Notices". The Argus. No. 8, 084. Victoria, Australia. 9 May 1872. p. 4.
  2. "Essendon Football Club – Team Players – Edgar A. F. CROFT". Essendon FC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  3. "MR E. A. F. CROFT, SOLICITOR". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 23 September 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  4. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers (7th ed.). Melbourne: Bas Publishing. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
  5. Atkinson, Graeme (2002). The Complete Book of AFL Finals (2002 ed.). Noble Park, Victoria: The Five Mile Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 1-86503-892-X.
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