Horrie Clover

Horace Ray Clover (20 March 1895 – 1 January 1984) was a leading Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League (VFL).

Horrie Clover
Clover in 1922
Personal information
Full name Horace Ray Clover
Date of birth 20 March 1895
Place of birth Carisbrook, Victoria
Date of death 1 January 1984(1984-01-01) (aged 88)
Place of death Mordialloc, Victoria
Original team(s) Maryborough
Debut Round 2, 1920, Carlton vs. Richmond, at Punt Road Oval
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 87 kg (192 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1920–1931 Carlton 147 (396)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1922–1923, 1927 Carlton 45 (26–18–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1931.
Career highlights
  • Carlton captain/coach 1922–24, 1927
  • Carlton leading goalkicker 1920–1923, 1926, 1928
  • Carlton Best & Fairest 1929
  • VFL Leading Goalkicker 1922
  • Victorian representative (9 games, 20 goals).
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

The son of Robert James Clover (1864-1900), and Phoebe Rubina Clover (-1901), née Smith, Horace Ray Clover was born at Carisbrook, Victoria on 20 March 1895.

He married Alberta Victoria Porter (1901-1983) on 29 January 1927.[1][2]

Football

At 6 ft. 1in., he had a long reach: his finger-tip to finger-tip span was 6 ft. 5in.[3]

Carlton (VFL)
"There's quite a story behind Horrie Clover's entry into Carlton, showing that his connection with football was something of a freak. The bare outline of this story will be sufficient. Actually he came to Melbourne in 1919 and joined the Carlton Cricket Club, with no thought of football.
While on a cricket tour with the V.C.A. team to Mildura and Wentworth in association with the late Lyle Downs, a dyed-in-the-wool Carltonite. He and Lyle joined a group of locals having some practice kicks at Wentworth. Evidentlv Lyle saw enough because, as Horrie himself said, "After that he never let up on me until I put of a [Carlton] uniform". — Rod McGregor, The Sporting Globe.[4]

Clover was a high-marking centre half-forward who starred from his first game, kicking three goals and hitting the post four times.[5]

Victoria (VFL)

He was selected to play for Victoria against South Australia on the MCG on 29 May 1920, after having only played three senior VFL games;[6] however, due to an injury he sustained in the match against Essendon on 22 May 1920, he was unable to play, and was replaced in the selected side by Paddy O'Brien.[7]

Carlton official

Clover was Carlton's key player during his career, including stints as playing coach in 1922-23 and 1927 for 26 wins from 45 matches. He also served as club secretary, vice-president and president over many years.

Hall of fame

Called "one of the finest exponents of the centre-half-forward position that the game has known",[5] Clover was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

References
  1. Horrie Clover Married, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 29 January 1927), p.3.
  2. The Woman's World: Church Crowded for Sportsman's Wedding, The Herald, (Saturday, 29 January 1927), p.10.
  3. The Soorting Globe, (Wednesday, 5 June 1929), p.1.
  4. McGregor, Rod, "Unforgettable Characters in Football: Horrie Clover: A Star in His First Year", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 2 August 1941), p.7.
  5. Atkinson, p. 35.
  6. J.W., "The Interstate Match", The Australasian, (Saturday, 29 May 1920), p.25.
  7. Football: Interstate Match: Victoria v. South Australia, The Age, (Saturday, 29 May 1920), p.15.

Sources
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