Keith Batchelor

Keith Vincent Batchelor (4 October 1930 – 24 September 2009) was a former Australian rules footballer, who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for Collingwood and North Melbourne in the 1950s. He made his senior debut in the 1952 VFL Grand Final.[1]

Keith Batchelor
Personal information
Full name Keith Vincent Batchelor
Date of birth 4 October 1930
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Date of death 24 September 2009(2009-09-24) (aged 78)
Place of death Sydney, New South Wales
Original team(s) Murrumbeena
Debut 1952 VFL Grand Final,
Collingwood vs. Geelong,
at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 86 kg (190 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1952–1955 Collingwood 21 (17)
1956–1957 North Melbourne 21 0(0)
Total 42 (17)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1957.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

The son of Collingwood footballer Vincent George Batchelor (1900-1981),[2] and Mary Alice Batchelor (1902-1970), née Wescott,[3] Keith Vincent Batchelor was born in Melbourne on 4 October 1930.

He married Claire Lavinia Kennedy (1931-2014) on 20 February 1954.

Football

Collingwood (VFL)

Batchelor came to Collingwood in 1949 as a forward from the suburban club Murrumbeena.[4]

Carlton (VFL)

Unable to secure a senior game with Collingwood, he was given a clearance to Carlton. Although he was listed by Carlton (1951), and although he played in the Carlton Reserves, he was unable to get a senior game.[5]

Collingwood (VFL)

In 1952 he was cleared back to Collingwood.

Injuries late in the season allowed the selectors to play him as a defender in the Reserves. Due to his good form in the reserves, and injuries to senior players, he made his senior debut at full-back in the 1952 VFL Grand Final: his opponent, George Goninon, kicked five goals against him, and Geelong won the match by 46 points.

In the 1953 VFL Grand Final Batchelor was played at full-forward; he kicked 4 goals, and Collingwood won the match by 11 points.

North Melbourne (VFL)

He later was cleared to North Melbourne in 1956 and stayed for two years.[6]

He was 20th man in his last senior match for North Melbourne, against Collingwood, at Victoria Park, on 17 August 1957, the second-last home-and-away match of the 1957 season, and replaced an injured Ray Murphy in the third quarter of the match.[7] He played for the North Melbourne Reserves in the Second Semi-Final against Fitzroy, on 7 September; he injured his knee and was replaced in the third-quarter.[8] He also played at full-back in the Reserves Preliminary-Final against Essendon, on 14 September 1957,[9][10][11] and was one of North Melbourne's best players in its Reserves Grand Final win over Fitzroy on 21 September 1957.[12][13][14] He was selected as 20th man in the North Melbourne team that lost to Geelong in the 24 September 1957 Night Premiership match.[15][16]

Cricket

He was also a capable cricketer,[17] and played nine first XI district matches as a specialist bowler for Collingwood between 1949 and 1961.[18]

Death

He died in Sydney, New South Wales on 24 September 2009.

Notes
  1. "Magpies Spring Surprise". The Argus. Melbourne. 26 September 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  2. Funeral Notices: Batchelor, The Age, (Monday, 7 September 1981), p.19.
  3. She was the sister of the Collingwood footballer Henry David "Leo" Wescott (1900-1970).
  4. Collingwood, The Herald, (Saturday, 2 April 1949), p.19.
  5. Keith Batchelor, at Blueseum.
  6. "Batchelor Says North For Me". The Argus. Victoria, Australia. 9 April 1956. p. 20. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  7. V.F.L. Statistics, The Age, (Monday, 19 August 1957), p.16.
  8. Fitzroy Seconds have Solid Win, The Age, (Monday, 9 September 1957), p.16.
  9. Norths Second Side Stronger, The Age, (Friday, 13 September 1957), p.20.
  10. North for Seconds Win, The Age, (Saturday, 14 September 1957), p.16.
  11. Late Goal gives Victory to North, The Age, (Monday, 16 September 1957), p.16.
  12. North Seconds Side Stronger, The Age, (Friday, 20 September 1957), p.30.
  13. Improved North for Seconds' Flag, The Age, (Saturday, 21 September 1957), p.16.
  14. Game Last-Quarter Bid Lands Win for North, The Age, (Monday, 23 September 1957), p.16.
  15. North Fancied in Night Football, The Age, (Tuesday, 24 September 1957), p.16.
  16. Geelong defeats North Melbourne, The Age, (Wednesday, 25 September 1957), p.18.
  17. 12th Man takes Five Wickets in Each Innings, The Argus, (Friday, 23 December 1949), p.16.
  18. "VCA 1st XI Career records 1889–90 to 2020–21 A-C" (PDF). Retrieved 8 February 2022.

References
  • Lovett, Michael, ed. (2010). AFL Record Season Guide 2010. p. 948. ISBN 978-0-9806274-5-9.
  • Grand Finals: Victorian Rules' Greatest Moments – Stories and Research by Jim Main, Murray Publishers Pty Ltd, Sydney.
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