Lou Sleeth
Australian rules footballer (1916–1990)
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Louis David Sleeth (26 February 1916 – 29 November 1990) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]
Lilydale, Victoria
| Lou Sleeth | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Louis David Sleeth | ||
| Born |
26 February 1916 Lilydale, Victoria | ||
| Died | 29 November 1990 (aged 74) | ||
| Original team | Box Hill | ||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) | ||
| Position | half-forward flank | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1937–38 | Richmond | 20 (22) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1938. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family
The son of Charles Alfred Sleeth (1883–1923),[2] and Johanna "Annie" Sleeth (1887-1966), née Ring, Louis David Sleeth was born at Lilydale, Victoria on 26 February 1916.
He married Dalila Mary "Dolly" Garton (1920-2004) in 1947.
Football
Box Hill (ESFL)
He played in 160 games over 20 seasons — 1929-1934, 1936, 1939, 1941-1948[3] — for the Box Hill Football Club in the Eastern Suburbs Football League.
East Burwood (FL)
He played for the East Burwood Football Club in the Federal Football League in 1935.[3]
Richmond (VFL)
A left-footed half-forward flanker, Sleeth was cleared from Box Hill to Richmond on 21 April 1937.[4] He played for two seasons (1937 and 1938), and played in 20 First XVIII matches, scoring 22 goals, and in 14 Second XVIII matches, scoring 23 goals.[3]
7 August 1937
On 7 August 1937, as a member of the greatly weakened Richmond side that played against Essendon, at the Punt Road Ground — Percy Bentley, Jack Dyer, and Dick Harris were absent interstate with the VFL, and George Smeaton and Billy Wells were both injured — Sleeth, best on the ground, kicked six of Richmond's 13 goals (including the winning goal), in an unexpected two point victory.[5][6][7][8][9]
1937 Best First-Year Players
In September 1937, The Argus selected Sleeth in its team of 1937's first-year players.[10]
| Best First-Year Players (1937) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Backs | Bernie Treweek (Fitzroy) |
Reg Henderson (Richmond) |
Lawrence Morgan (Fitzroy) |
| H/Backs | Gordon Waters (Hawthorn) |
Bill Cahill (Essendon) |
Eddie Morcom (North Melbourne) |
| Centre Line | Ted Buckley (Melbourne) |
George Bates (Richmond) |
Jack Kelly (St Kilda) |
| H/Forwards | Col Williamson (St Kilda) |
Ray Watts (Essendon) |
Don Dilks (Footscray) |
| Forwards | Lou Sleeth (Richmond) |
Sel Murray (North Melbourne) |
Charlie Pierce (Hawthorn) |
| Rucks/Rover | Reg Garvin (St Kilda) |
Sandy Patterson (South Melbourne) |
Des Fothergill (Collingwood) |
| Second Ruck | Lawrence Morgan | Col Williamson | Lou Sleeth |
Preston (VFA)
Cleared from Box Hill to Preston on 17 April 1940.[11][12][13] He played in 14 games and scored 30 goals in the 1940 season.[3]