List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service
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Since the inception of the Victorian Football League in 1897, many of its players have served in the armed services, including the Anglo–Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War (in which Melbourne's Geoff Collins served as a fighter pilot), and the Vietnam War (in which Essendon's Keith Gent, Lindsay McGie, and Ian Payne, and Geelong's Wayne Closter all served).
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A number of the VFL players who served also lost their lives on active service; they were either killed in action, or died as a consequence of the wounds, injuries, and/or illnesses they had suffered in their active service.[1][2]
According to Main & Allen (2002, p. x), "no VFL footballer was killed in any wars other than the Anglo–Boer War and the two World Wars".
Anglo–Boer War
Charlie Moore and Stan Reid, the only two VFL players to be killed in the Anglo–Boer War, had played against each other in the 1898 VFL Grand Final.
Reid had played in the back pocket for Fitzroy and was one of Fitzroy's best players, whilst Moore had played at full-forward for Essendon. Fitzroy won the match 5.8 (38) to 3.5 (23), with Moore kicking one of Essendon's three goals.[3]
Moore had already played a number of senior games for Albert-Park Football Club (and, possibly, also for the South Melbourne Football Club) in the VFA before moving to play for Essendon in the VFL's inaugural year of 1897,[4] whilst Stan Reid had played quite a number of senior games for the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFA prior to 1897.[5]
| Player | VFL Games | VFL club(s) | Rank held at time of death | Date of death | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Moore | 30 | Essendon | Trooper, 4th Victorian Imperial Bushmen's Contingent | 12 May 1901 | Kwaggashoek Farm, South Africa[6] |
| Stan Reid | 24 | Fitzroy | Lieutenant, 6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry | 29 June 1901 | Middel-Kraal, South Africa[7] |
World War I
It can never be definitively argued that any particular person was "the first VFL footballer killed in the First World War" due to at least six former VFL footballers being killed during the chaos of the landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915—Lieutenant Joseph Rupert "Rupert" Balfe (University), Private Joseph Alan "Alan" Cordner (Geelong and Collingwood), Private Claude Terrell Crowl (St Kilda), Private Charles "Charlie" Fincher (South Melbourne), Private Fenley John "Fen" McDonald (Carlton and Melbourne), and Corporal Arthur Mueller "Joe" Pearce (Melbourne).
| Player | VFL games | VFL club(s) | Rank held at time of death | Date of death | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Aitken | 1 | Geelong | Private, 5th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 8 August 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[8] |
| Rupert Balfe | 7 | University | Lieutenant, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 April 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[9] |
| John Bell | 18 | Geelong | Captain, No. 2 Squadron,[10] Australian Flying Corps | 27 December 1917 | Western Front, France[11] |
| Lewis Blackmore | 7 | Essendon | Second Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, First A.I.F. | 23 July 1916 | Pozières, France[12] |
| Jim Bonella | 1 | Melbourne | Private 2nd Battalion Australian Machine Gun Corps | 24 May 1918 | France[13] |
| Norman Bradford | 7 | South Melbourne | Corporal, 23rd Battalion, First A.I.F. | 4 August 1916 | Pozières, France[14] |
| Cliff Burge | 5 | Melbourne | Lieutenant, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 14 August 1918 | Villers-Bretonneux, France[15] |
| Arthur Caldwell | 8 | St Kilda | Private, 4th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 26 July 1915 | Valletta, Malta[16] |
| Sam Campbell | 1 | Collingwood | Private Australian Reinforcement | 21 October 1918 | Sierra Leone[17] |
| Hughie Callan | 71 | Essendon South Melbourne | Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 5 February 1917 | Bapaume, France[18] |
| George Challis | 70 | Carlton | Sergeant, 58th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 15 July 1916 | Armentières, France[19] |
| Thornton Clarke | 4 | Fitzroy | Corporal, 60th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 19 July 1916 | Fromelles, France[20] |
| Dick Clough | 2 | Essendon | Corporal, 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment | 2 June 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[21] |
| Harry Collins DCM | 6 | Fitzroy | Lieutenant, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 10 August 1918 | Villers-Bretonneux, France[22] |
| Jack Cooper | 136 | Fitzroy | Lance-Corporal, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 20 September 1917 | Polygon Wood, Belgium[23] |
| Arch Corbett | 7 | University | Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, First A.I.F. | 25 June 1920 | Lost at sea off Toulon, France[24] |
| Alan Cordner | 23 | Geelong Collingwood | Private, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 April 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[25] |
| Claude Crowl | 3 | St Kilda | Private, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 April 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[26] |
| Joe Crowl | 3 | Geelong | Captain, 8th Australian, Light Horse, First A.I.F. | 27 June 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[27] |
| Dave Cumming MC and Bar | 21 | University | Captain, 48th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 3 May 1918 | Villers-Bretonneux, France[28] |
| Harry Daniel | 11 | Carlton | Private 5th Battalion (Infantry) | 10 August 1918 | France[29] |
| Jack Doubleday | 53 | University Melbourne | Lieutenant, Australian Dental Corps, First A.I.F. | 30 October 1918 | Died at sea, Indian Ocean[30] |
| George Elliott MC | 80 | Fitzroy University | Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, First A.I.F. | 25 September 1917 | Chateau Wood, Ypres, France[31] |
| Jim Farnan | 1 | St Kilda | Private 46th Battalion (Infantry) | 9 August 1916 | France[32] |
| Fred Fielding | 18 | South Melbourne Collingwood | Private, 28th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 8 August 1918 | Villers-Bretonneux, France[33] |
| Charlie Fincher | 9 | South Melbourne | Private, 5th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 April 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[34] |
| Bill Fischer | 1 | Melbourne | Sergeant 8th Brigade Australian Field Artillery | 15 October 1917 | Belgium[35] |
| Chris Fogarty | 28 | Essendon University | Lieutenant, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 29 November 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[36] |
| Jack Freeman | 22 | South Melbourne | Sapper, 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers, First A.I.F. | 15 November 1916 | Rouen, France[37] |
| Dick Gibbs MC | 35 | University | Captain, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 19 July 1916 | Fleurbaix, France[38] |
| Dave Gillespie | 5 | Carlton | Company Sergeant Major, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 27 March 1917 | Military Hospital Caulfield, Victoria[39] |
| Jimmy Gordon | 8 | Essendon | Bombardier, 3rd AFA Brigade, Australian Field Artillery | 30 September 1918 | France[40] |
| Albert Gourlay | 6 | Carlton Melbourne | Private, Wellington Infantry Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force | 15 August 1917 | Military Hospital, England[41][42] |
| Artie Harrison | 20 | Richmond Fitzroy | Lance-Corporal, 22nd Battalion, First A.I.F. | 3 May 1917 | Bullecourt France[43] |
| Ed Harrison | 7 | South Melbourne | Sergeant, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 13 March 1917 | Étaples France[44] |
| Billy Harvey | 9 | Essendon | Captain 1st Pioneer Battalion | 14 September 1917 | Belgium[45] |
| Arthur Hinman | 24 | University | Lieutenant, 15th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 10 May 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[46] |
| Lou Holmes | 1 | St Kilda | Captain, 10th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 23 June 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[47] |
| Herb Hunter | 3 | Essendon | Captain, 7th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 8 May 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[48] |
| Les James | 72 | Geelong | Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 22 October 1917 | Passchendaele, Belgium[49] |
| Arthur Jones | 7 | Fitzroy | Trooper, 8th Australian Light Horse, First A.I.F. | 7 August 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[50] |
| Malcolm Kennedy | 17 | Melbourne | Captain Headquarters 1 Australian Division | 2 January, 1918 | Belgium[51] |
| Bill Landy | 2 | Geelong | Private, 58th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 19 July 1916 | Fromelles, France[52] |
| Charles Langtree | 1 | Collingwood | Lieutenant, 159th Brigade Royal Field Artillery | 3 August 1916 | Corbie, France[53] |
| Ron Larking MC and Bar | 1 | University | Captain, 38th Division, Signal Company, Royal Engineers | 1 April 1918 | Neuve-Église, Belgium[54] |
| Les Lee | 2 | Richmond | Private, 10th Machine Gun Company, First A.I.F. | 8 June 1917 | Messines, Belgium[55] |
| Otto Lowenstern | 12 | St Kilda | Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) | 1 December 1917 | France[56] |
| Frank Lugton | 36 | Melbourne | Lance-Corporal, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 29 July 1916 | Villers-Bretonneux, France[57] |
| Jim Mackie | 5 | Melbourne | Private, 21st Battalion, First A.I.F. | 20 March 1917 | Bapaume, France[58] |
| Bill Madden | 26 | St Kilda | Lance Corporal 22nd Battalion (Infantry) | 3 May 1917 | France[59] |
| Peter Martin | 15 | Collingwood | Private, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 March 1918 | Military Hospital Caulfield, Victoria[60] |
| Stan Martin | 65 | University | Corporal, 22nd Battalion, First A.I.F. | 3 May 1917 | Bullecourt France[61] |
| Bill Maxwell | 2 | Melbourne | Lieutenant, 38th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 12 October 1917 | Passchendaele, Belgium[62] |
| Tom McCluskey | 9 | Carlton Fitzroy | Private, 37th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 4 October 1917 | Passchendaele, Belgium[63] |
| Fen McDonald | 11 | Carlton Melbourne | Private, 37th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 April 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[64] |
| Paddy McGuinness | 1 | St Kilda | Private 51st Battalion (Infantry) | 6 May 1918 | France[65] |
| Fred McIntosh | 39 | University Essendon | Lieutenant, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 28 September 1917 | Polygon Wood, Belgium[66] |
| Arthur McKenzie | 4 | Geelong | Private, 1st Regiment South African Infantry | 18 July 1916 | Delville Wood, France[67] |
| Stan McKenzie | 14 | Carlton | Sergeant, 1st Australian Clearing Hospital, First A.I.F. | 8 December 1915 | Alexandria, Egypt[68] |
| Ted McLean | 2 | Geelong | Private, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 29 May 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[69] |
| Hector Mitchell | 1 | St Kilda | Stoker HMAS Swan, R.A.N. | 16 June 1917 | Singapore[70] |
| Charlie Morley | 3 | Essendon | Lieutenant, Australian Army Ordnance Corps | 13 April 1919 | London, England[71] |
| Stan Neale MC | 28 | University | Captain, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 29 September 1918 | Bellicourt, France[72] |
| Jim Nicholas | 1 | University | Lieutenant Colonel, 5th Australian Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps | 20 September 1917 | Belgium[73] |
| Bill Nolan | 30 | Richmond | Sergeant, 58th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 23 July 1916 | Fleurbaix, France[74] |
| Bert O'Connell | 2 | St Kilda | Private, 24h Battalion, First A.I.F. | 17 October 1917 | Broodseinde, Belgium[47] |
| Sid O'Neill | 1 | Fitzroy | Sergeant, 8th Australian Light Horse | 7 August 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[75] |
| Alick Ogilvie | 28 | Melbourne University | Second Lieutenant, 12th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 18 August 1915 | Malta[76] |
| Charlie Oliver | 1 | Carlton | Doctor Australian Army Medical Corps | 29 December 1917[77] | Melbourne, Australia[78] |
| Harold Parker | 3 | St Kilda | 2nd Lieutenant 37th Battalion (Infantry) | 30 January 1917 | France[79] |
| Joe Pearce | 152 | Melbourne | Corporal, 7th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 25 April 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[80] |
| Jim Pender | 15 | Carlton | Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 2 July 1916 | Bois-Grenier, France[81] |
| Hugh Plowman | 26 | St Kilda | Captain, 60th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 19 July 1916 | Fromelles, France[82] |
| Leslie Primrose | 16 | University | Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps | 4 June 1918 | The Somme, France[83] |
| Leo Rankin | 1 | Melbourne | Private 55th Australian Infantry Battalion | 10 May 1917 | Dorset, England[84] |
| Harold Rippon | 9 | Melbourne South Melbourne | Private 2nd Pioneer Battalion | 16 January 1917 | France[85] |
| Alex Robertson | 10 | University | Second Lieutenant, 11th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 6 August 1915 | Gallipoli, Turkey[86] |
| Ralph Robertson | 14 | St Kilda | Second Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps & Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment | 11 May 1917 | Aboukir, Egypt[87] |
| Percy Rodriguez | 22 | University Melbourne | Second Lieutenant, 23rd Battalion, First A.I.F. | 20 March 1917 | The Somme, France[88] |
| Bill Rogers | 3 | Carlton | Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, First A.I.F. | 22 September 1918 | near Rouen, France[89] |
| Les Rogers[90] | 3 | Essendon | Private 23rd Battalion (Infantry) | 4 August 1916 | France[91] |
| Gower Ross | 8 | St Kilda | Second Lieutenant 3rd Squadron Royal Flying Corps | 14 February 1917 | Gueudecourt, France[92] |
| Paddy Rowan[93] | 82 | Collingwood | Sergeant, 29th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 5 December 1916 | Western Front, France[94] |
| Bobby Royle | 3 | Melbourne | Private 2nd Company Machine Gun Corps | 3 November 1916 | France[95] |
| Gerald Ryan | 18 | Essendon | Lance Sergeant, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 6 February 1917 | Tidworth, Wiltshire, England[96] |
| Cyril Seelenmeyer MC | 6 | University | Major, Australian Army Veterinary Corps | 8 August 1918 | Fouilloy, Somme, France[97] |
| Joe Slater | 108 | Geelong | Captain, 22nd Battalion, First A.I.F. | 3 May 1917 | Bullecourt France[98] |
| Bruce Sloss | 84 | Essendon South Melbourne | Lieutenant, 10th Machine Gun Company, First A.I.F. | 4 January 1917 | Armentières, France[99] |
| Claude Thomas | 13 | South Melbourne | Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 5 July 1918 | Hamel, France[100] |
| Jack Turnbull | 12 | South Melbourne | Private, 39th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 2 May 1917 | Western Front, France[101] |
| Jack Walker | 4 | St Kilda | Sergeant, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 27 July 1916 | Pozières, France[47] |
| Mal Williams | 7 | University | Lieutenant Colonel, 1st Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps | 2 May 1917 | The Somme, France[102] |
| Alf Williamson | 19 | Carlton Melbourne | Captain, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 11 April 1917 | Bullecourt France[103] |
| Jack Wood | 2 | Essendon | Private 6th Battalion, First A.I.F. | 20 October 1914 | Melbourne, Victoria[104] |
| Tommy Worle | 3 | Collingwood | Sergeant, 8th Brigade Australian Field Artillery | 31 July 1917 | Armentières, France[105] |
| Tom Wright | 12 | Collingwood | Corporal 59th Battalion (Infantry) | 12 December 1916 | France[106] |
World War II
| Player | VFL games | VFL club(s) | Rank held at time of death | Date of death | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syd Anderson | 53 | Melbourne | Flying Officer, 100 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 20 May 1944 | Shot down off Wewak, New Guinea[107] |
| Jack Atkins | 4 | Melbourne | Able Seaman, HMAS Perth, Naval Reserve | 1 March 1942 | Sunda Strait, off Java[108] |
| Wilf Atkinson | 1 | Carlton | Flight Sergeant R.A.A.F. attached to 232 Squadron, R.A.F. | 12 August 1943 | over Sicily[109] |
| Harold Ball | 33 | Melbourne | Private, 2/9 Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps | 9 February 1942 | Singapore, Malaya[110] |
| Ron Barassi Sr | 58 | Melbourne | Corporal, 7th Division Supply Column, Australian Army Service Corps | 31 July 1941 | Tobruk, Libya[111] |
| Paul Bell | 15 | St Kilda | Lance Corporal, 2/5 Cavalry (Commando) Squadron, Second A.I.F. | 4 July 1945 | Balikpapan, Borneo[112] |
| George Brock | 4 | North Melbourne | Leading Aircraftman R.A.A.F. 1 Service Flying Training School, Point Cook | 2 August 1941 | Air collision near the You Yangs, Victoria[113] |
| Harry Comte | 104 | St Kilda | Private, 2/24th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 30 May 1945 | Tarakan, Dutch East Indies[114] |
| Tommy Corrigan | 107 | Fitzroy | Sergeant, 1 Recruit Centre Melbourne, R.A.A.F. | 9 January 1943 | Heidelberg Military Hospital[115] |
| Bill Cosgrove | 3 | Richmond | Fight Sergeant, 30 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 11 August 1943 | off Goodenough Island Milne Bay[116] |
| Bill Downie | 69 | Footscray St Kilda | Private, 105 Transport Company, Australian Army Service Corps | 11 September 1943 | Burma-Siam railway Burma[117] |
| Jack Drake | 3 | Hawthorn | Lance-Bombardier, 2/2 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery | 23 April 1941 | Bralos Pass Thermopylae, Greece[118] |
| Noel Ellis | 3 | Melbourne | Sergeant, 23rd Anti Tank Battery, Royal Australian Artillery | 6 July 1942 | Queensland[119] |
| Bob Flegg | 18 | St Kilda | Warrant Officer R.A.A.F. attached to 70 Squadron, R.A.F. | 7 July 1944 | over Feuersbrunn, Austria[120] |
| Bill Garvie | 9 | Richmond | Private, 20 Field Bakery Platoon, Australian Army Service Corps | 27 June 1944 | Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland[121] |
| Alf Giblett | 9 | Hawthorn | Corporal, 2/24th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 19 June 1943 | New Guinea[122] |
| Godfrey Goldin | 8 | Essendon | Private, 2/7th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 7 February 1943 | New Guinea[123] |
| Alf Goonan | 7 | North Melbourne | Private, 2/29th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 22 January 1942 | Malaya[124] |
| Jeff Grieve | 11 | South Melbourne | Flight Sergeant, 667 Communication Unit 11 Base RAF R.A.A.F | 8 November 1944 | Glen Shee, Scotland[125] |
| Gordon Hamilton | 2 | South Melbourne | Ordinary Seaman, HMAS Cerberus R.A.N. | 23 February 1941 | Chelsea, Victoria[126] |
| Alf Hedge | 16 | South Melbourne | Pilot Officer, R.A.A.F. attached to 78 Squadron, R.A.F. | 4 May 1942 | over Hamburg, Germany[127] |
| Fred Heintz | 14 | Fitzroy | Private, 2/21st Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 20 February 1942 | Ambon, Dutch East Indies[128] |
| Clyde Helmer | 73 | Geelong Melbourne | Warrant Officer Class II, Bomb Disposal Mobile Unit, Royal Australian Engineers | 24 April 1945 | whilst defusing bomb at Aitapi, near Lae, New Guinea[129] |
| Bill Hudson | 5 | St Kilda | Lance Corporal, 51st Field Park Company, Royal Australian Engineers | 11 April 1945 | New Guinea[130] |
| Len Johnson | 69 | Essendon North Melbourne | Private, 4th Reserve Motor Transport Company, Australian Army Service Corps | 24 January 1942 | near Singapore, Malaya[131] |
| Jack Keddie | 1 | Essendon | Sergeant, 127 Brigade Workshops, Australian Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 15 August 1945 | Wewak, New Guinea[132] |
| Stuart King | 43 | St Kilda | Flying Officer, 11 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 28 February 1943 | off Cairns, Far North Queensland[133] |
| Jim Knight | 43 | Geelong Carlton | Flying Officer, 30 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 11 October 1943 | Goodenough Island, Milne Bay[134] |
| Ralph Lancaster | 44 | Geelong | Gunner, 9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Australian Artillery, Second A.I.F. | 28 August 1942 | New Guinea[135] |
| Norm Le Brun | 50 | Carlton Collingwood Essendon South Melbourne | Trooper, 2/10th Australian Cavalry (Commando) Squadron | 15 November 1944 | Aitapi, near Lae, New Guinea[136] |
| Jack Lynch | 25 | Geelong | Driver, 2/19th Transport Platoon, Australian Army Service Corps | 8 September 1944 | Charters Towers, Far North Queensland[137] |
| Ken MacLeod | 54 | University | Engineer-Lieutenant Commander, HMS Glowworm, R.A.N. | 8 April 1940 | off Trondheim, Norway[138] |
| Wallace Mills | 1 | St Kilda | Warrant Officer Class II, 2/41st Light Aid Detachment, Australian Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 24 November 1943 | Far North Queensland[112] |
| Derek Mollison | 66 | Melbourne | Captain, 2/12th Field Regiment 9th Division, Second A.I.F. | 19 December 1943 | Rockhampton, Central Queensland[139] |
| Alex Nash DFM | 1 | Hawthorn | Pilot Officer, 8 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 28 March 1944 | off Bougainville Island, New Guinea[140] |
| Norm Oliver | 13 | Collingwood | Flying Officer, 4 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 27 June 1944 | Madang, New Guinea[141] |
| Jim Park | 128 | Carlton | Lieutenant, 2/6th Infantry Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 9 February 1943 | Wau, New Guinea[142] |
| Alan Pearsall | 2 | South Melbourne | Flying Officer, R.A.A.F. (seconded to 16 Squadron, R.A.F.) | 8 March 1944 | over English Channel[143] |
| Bert Peters | 17 | North Melbourne | Flying Officer, R.A.A.F. 53 Squadron RAF | 13 June 1944 | Shot down over the English Channel[144] |
| Dick Pirrie | 3 | Hawthorn | Sub-Lieutenant, HMS Invicta, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | 6 June 1944 | Normandy, France[145] |
| Jack Price | 10 | Hawthorn | Private, 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 27 June 1941 | Syria[146] |
| Ted Regan | 11 | Melbourne Essendon | Flight Sergeant, R.A.A.F. attached to 11 Squadron, R.A.F. | 9 July 1943 | over Burma[147] |
| Beres Reilly | 13 | St Kilda North Melbourne Melbourne | Pilot Officer, 454 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 23 July 1943 | over Crete[148] |
| Archie Roberts | 48 | Essendon Melbourne | Private, 2/21st Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 6 June 1945 | Ambon Dutch East Indies[149] |
| Percy Roberts | 18 | Fitzroy | Private, 85 Light Aid Detachment | 3 August 1943 | Burma[150] |
| Tasman Roberts | 58 | St Kilda Fitzroy | Private, 2/24th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 9 April 1942 | Rabaul[151] |
| Gordon Sawley | 7 | South Melbourne | Flying Officer R.A.A.F. attached to 19 Operational Training Unit, R.A.F. | 14 August 1942 | over Scotland[152] |
| Mo Shapir | 2 | North Melbourne | Flight Sergeant, R.A.A.F. attached to 108 Squadron, R.A.F. | 15 August 1942 | Middle East[153] |
| Jack Shelton | 2 | South Melbourne St Kilda | Lieutenant, 2/21st Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 1 May 1941 | Libya[154] |
| Len Thomas | 209 | North Melbourne Hawthorn South Melbourne | Private, 2/3rd Independent (Commando) Company, Second A.I.F. | 17 August 1943 | Salamaua, New Guinea[155] |
| Henry Thomson | 1 | Carlton | Sergeant AA Pay Corps | 21 May 1943 | Burma[156] |
| Keith Truscott DFC and Bar | 50 | Melbourne | Squadron Leader, 76 Squadron, R.A.A.F. | 28 March 1943 | Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia[157] |
| Jack Wade | 26 | South Melbourne | Private, 2/27th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 11 June 1941 | Syria[158] |
| Max Wheeler | 1 | Hawthorn | Private, 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 11 June 1941 | Syria[159] |
| Barney Wood | 5 | Melbourne | Sergeant, 2/16th Battalion, Second A.I.F. | 9 June 1941 | Litani River, Syria[160] |
| Gus Young | 10 | Hawthorn | Bombardier, 3rd Australian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery | 29 May 1941 | at sea Middle East[161] |
| Harold Zucker | 3 | Hawthorn | Corporal, A.I.F. General 101 Hospital, Australian Army Medical Corps | 7 June 1947 | Plympton, South Australia[162] |
Umpires
At least one VFL umpire is known to have been killed: goal umpire Alexander Salton who served as a private in the 60th Battalion, First A.I.F. He died from his wounds on 10 September 1916 in France.[163] He was shot in the stomach five days after joining his battalion, which had been comprehensively defeated two months before at the Battle of Fromelles. He is the only VFL field, boundary, or goal umpire known to have been killed on active service in any war.[164]
In an unusual case, one VFL umpire, Henry James "Bunny" Nugent (1880–1955),[165][166] served in three wars:[167][168] the Boer War, World War I[169][170] (wherein he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery),[171] and World War II (he had put his age back five years to enlist in 1939).[172][173] In his first senior VFL match as field umpire back from his service in the First AIF (Richmond v. Essendon on Saturday, 11 May 1918), the Richmond and Essendon players lined up and formed a guard of honour for him to run through as he took the ground.[174]