Jack Bisset

John James Bisset (1 September 1900 – 21 August 1966)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club and played for and coached the South Melbourne Football Club in the VFL.[2]

Jack Bisset
Bisset on a Hoadleys' trading card, 1933
Personal information
Full name John James Bisset
Date of birth (1900-09-01)1 September 1900
Place of birth Longwarry, Victoria
Date of death 21 August 1966(1966-08-21) (aged 65)
Place of death Caulfield, Victoria
Original team(s) Nar Nar Goon (EDFL)
Port Melbourne (VFA)
Stawell (WFL)
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 83 kg (183 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1928 Richmond 19 (6)
1931 Richmond 19 (3)
1932–1936 South Melbourne 90 (9)
Total 128 (18)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1933–1936 South Melbourne 80 (63–17–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1936.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1936.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

He married Bridget Catherine Quigley (1896–1971) in 1920. Their son, Ray Bisset, played for Fitzroy Second XVIII and Melbourne Second XVIII, before playing for the Moe Football Club;[3] and their daughter married Des Healey.[4]

Football

Nar Nar Goon

Bisset started his football career at Nar Nar Goon, captaining their 1921 premiership side. He also played with Nar Nar Goon in 1924 and 1925.

Port Melbourne

He moved to Port Melbourne in the VFA in 1922 was fullback for their premiership side in that year.

Stawell

He was captain-coach of Stawell in the Wimmera Football League from 1926 to 1927. He began playing as a follower.

Richmond

He moved to Richmond where he made his VFL debut in 1928. He spent two seasons with the Tigers, 1928 and 1931, both ending in Grand Final losses.

Nhill

In between his two seasons at Richmond he was captain-coach at Nhill.[5] In 1930, he was part of the combined Wimmera Football League team that defeated a combined Gippsland team 11.15 (81) to 4.8 (32),[6] in the Victorian Country Football Championship match, played on Saturday, 9 August 1930, on a very muddy M.C.G.[7]

South Melbourne

In 1932 he was recruited by South Melbourne and became their captain-coach the following season. Bisset had an immediate impact on the club, guiding them to their first premiership in 15 years — the collection of players recruited from interstate in 1932/1933 became known as South Melbourne's "Foreign Legion".[8]

He remained coach until the end of the 1936 season having reached the Grand Final in every year. South Melbourne however could not repeat their 1933 success, losing the Grand Finals by 39, 20 and 11 points respectively.

Port Melbourne

He was appointed captain-coach of Port Melbourne in 1937;[9] however, as a consequence of the team's poor performance, he resigned his position mid-way through the season.[10]

Rainbow

In 1938, he was appointed captain coach of the Rainbow Football Club in the Southern Mallee Football Association.[11] He was unable to play for part of the season due to having fractured ribs.[12] Rainbow lost the 1938 Grand Final against Hopetoun Football Club 21.11 (137) to 11.6 (72).[13]

Military service

He enlisted in the Second AIF in June 1940.[14]

Team of the century

Having won 63 of the 80 games that he coached, Bisset was named coach of the Swans' official 'Team of the Century'.

Notes
  1. "Jack Bisset – Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  2. Note that, in a number of places, his family name is often (incorrectly) given to be Bissett; despite his service record, where both his incorrect family name and incorrect birth date were (deceptively) given by Bisset himself, his birth, marriage, death, and electoral roll records all have Bisset.
  3. Can You Pick Premiers?: Moe, The Argus, (Thursday, 2 July 1953), p30
  4. Taylor, P., "League Footballers of 1950—Wing Men", The Argus, (Saturday, 10 June 1950), p.6; The Argus, (Monday, 19 September 1955), p.20
  5. Nhill's Coach, The Horsham Times, (Tuesday, 19 March 1929), p.3
  6. Sporting News: Football, The Horsham Times, (Friday, 8 August 1930), p.5; Wimmera Defeat Gippsland for Country Football Championship, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 16 August 1930), p.38; Today's Sport, The Argus, (Saturday, 9 August 1930), p.15
  7. Mud and Slush, The Australasian, (Saturday, 16 August 1930), p.26
  8. The caricature at the foot of page 10 of Table Talk (22 June 1933) was created by Richard "Dick" Ovenden (1897–1972). From left to right those represented are: Jack Bisset, the team's captain; Dick Mullaly, the club's secretary; Brighton Diggins, from Subiaco (WAFL); Bert Beard, from South Fremantle (WAFL); Bill Faul, from Subiaco (WAFL); Joe O'Meara, from East Perth (WAFL); Frank Davies, from City (NTFA); Laurie Nash, from City (NTFA); John Bowe, from Subiaco (WAFL); Jack Wade, from Port Adelaide (SANFL); Ossie Bertram, from West Torrens (SANFL); and Wilbur Harris, from West Torrens (SANFL).
  9. Jack Bisset Confident, The Age, (Friday, 2 April 1937), p.14.
  10. Bissett Tenders Resignation, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 12 June 1937), p.5
  11. Many League Permits, The Argus, (Thursday, 21 April 1938), p.18; South Players as Coaches: Bisset and Welch for Country, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 23 April 1938), p.4
  12. Five Playing Coaches Injured, The Age, (Thursday, 23 June 1938), p.7
  13. Results of Other Games: Hopetoun, The Argus, (Monday, 12 September 1938), p14
  14. Items of Personal Interest, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 1 June 1940), p.1; Good Players Few and Far Between, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 13 July 1940), p.1; Sportsmen's Honor Roll, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 19 July 1941), p40

References
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