Max Wheeler (footballer)

Geoffrey Maxwell Wheeler (21 May 1912 – 17 June 1941) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played only one VFL game, against Melbourne.

For the British linguist, see Max Wheeler (linguist).

Max Wheeler
Personal information
Full name Geoffrey Maxwell Wheeler
Date of birth (1912-05-21)21 May 1912
Place of birth Coleraine, Victoria
Date of death 17 June 1941(1941-06-17) (aged 29)
Place of death Merdjayoun, French Lebanon
Original team(s) Ballarat Football Club
Position(s) Forward pocket
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1937 Hawthorn 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1937.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Wheeler made a name for himself when he topped the Ballarat-Wimmera FL goalkicking with 108 goals in 1936. Hawthorn managed to secure a permit from Ballarat for Wheeler to play on a Monday. [1] He played on a split round weekend in which the Hawks and Melbourne played at Glenferrie oval. The following week he was dropped and lined up in the reserves. A few weeks later while playing in the seconds Wheeler had his arm broken and that finished his season. [2] He returned to Ballarat and he topped the goalkicking in 1938 and 1939 booting 93 goals on both occasions. Wheeler like many young men enlisted into the Army in 1940.

Military service

He enlisted in the Second AIF on 24 July 1940, and served in the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.

Death

He was killed in action, at Merdjayoun, in French Lebanon, on 17 June 1941, serving with the Second AIF.[3]

Family

The son of Herbert John Wheeler (1877–1947),[4][5] and Eliza Lousia Wheeler (1878–1975), née James, Geoffrey Maxwell Wheeler was born at Coleraine, Victoria on 21 May 1912. He married Margaret Isabel Lingham (1914) in 1937. They had three children: Maxine, Alan, and Mabel.

See also

Footnotes
  1. "League Snapshots". Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954). 18 June 1937. p. 19.
  2. "Hawthorn". Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). 14 July 1937. p. 17.
  3. In Memoriam: On Active Service: Wheeler, The Age, (Friday, 21 May 1943), p. 5; In Memoriam: Roll of Honour—On Active Service: Wheeler, The Argus, (Friday, 21 May 1943), p. 2.
  4. Deaths: Wheeler, The Argus, (Monday, 16 June 1947), p. 19.
  5. World War One Nominal Roll: Private Herbert John Wheeler (5636).

Sources
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