Frank Scully (footballer)

Francis Leo Scully (28 October 1899 – 5 May 1980) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]

Frank Scully
Personal information
Full name Francis Leo Scully
Date of birth (1899-10-28)28 October 1899
Place of birth South Melbourne, Victoria
Date of death 5 May 1980(1980-05-05) (aged 80)
Place of death North Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) Windsor
Height 171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1924–1927 St Kilda 41 (42)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1927.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

World War I

Scully enlisted to serve in the Australian Army in May 1918, completing training at Broadmeadows and, having embarked from Sydney on 5 November 1918, was on his way to Europe when the Armistice with Germany was signed that brought an end to fighting in Europe.[2]

Football

Scully, a recruit from Windsor, started his St Kilda career in the 1924 VFL season. Debuting in round five, Scully was a regular fixture in the team for the rest of the year and won St Kilda's "best first-year player" award for his performances in 12 games.[3][4] In round 17 he was reported for striking Essendon player Charlie May, for which he was suspended for five games.[5]

He did not return the following season until round six and kicked three goals in his first game back, against Essendon.[3][6] He played every game except the final two rounds, due to a shoulder injury.[3][7]

His 1926 season was interrupted by an eight-week suspension, incurred for an incident in St Kilda's round two loss to Geelong at Junction Oval.[8] The incident happened after Scully received a free kick for having his arm pulled by Geelong's Ken Leahy.[9] According to the field umpire's account, Scully punched the ball away following the free kick, which struck Leahy in the face.[9][10] The pair then exchanged blows and had to be separated by the boundary umpire.[9] As Leahy was the first to strike, Scully's suspension was for "retaliation".[9] The tribunal chairman believed Leahy was the aggressor, but as Scully was also charged with striking they could not take provocation into account.[9][11] Leahy was also suspended for eight weeks.[11]

A return to football was further delayed by a court case, relating to the theft of a motor vehicle tyre from the property of St Kilda vice president John Beddison.[12] Scully pleaded guilty to the charge and was committed for trial in August, along with four other men, two of them his brothers.[12] On the night in question, the men had dinner at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in St Kilda, which was managed by Beddison.[13] Soon after 8 pm, the men left in a taxi and Beddison noticed that the tyre was missing from his car outside the hotel.[13] Prosecutors alleged that Scully had taken the tyre, which he dropped off at a local motor garage during the taxi ride.[14] The judge asked the jury to take into consideration that Scully was intoxicated and the jury returned a not guilty verdict.[14] He played in three of the final four rounds of the season.[3]

In 1927, Scully played 14 games for St Kilda and kicked 18 goals.[15] The following year he left to coach Penshurst.[16][17]

References
  1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  2. "Discovering Anzacs: Francis Leo Scully". National Archives of Australia.
  3. "AFL Tables – Frank Scully – Games Played". AFL Tables. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  4. "Football". The Argus. Melbourne. 10 December 1924. p. 27. Retrieved 7 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Football Inquiries". The Argus. Melbourne. 6 September 1924. p. 21. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "St. Kilda's Sensational Win". The Age. Melbourne. 9 June 1925. p. 15. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Around the Clubs". The Age. Melbourne. 4 September 1925. p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Essendon Wins a Hard Fight". Referee. Sydney. 19 May 1926. p. 13. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "League Tribunal". The Argus. Melbourne. 14 May 1926. p. 5. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "In Other States". The Daily News (Home (Final) ed.). Perth. 28 May 1926. p. 4. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Notes and Comments". The Australasian (Metropolitan ed.). Melbourne. 22 May 1926. p. 38. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Theft of Motor Tyre". The Prahran Telegraph. Vic. 23 July 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Five Men Charged". The Age. 13 August 1926. p. 19. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  14. "Five Men Not Guilty". The Argus. Melbourne. 13 August 1926. p. 9. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "AFL Tables – 1927 Stats – Player Lists". AFL Tables. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  16. "Football". The West Australian. Perth. 2 May 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Football". The Argus. Melbourne. 31 May 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 8 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
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