Jack Lynch (footballer, born 1918)

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Jack Lynch
Personal information
Full name John Thomas Lynch
Date of birth (1918-08-09)9 August 1918
Place of birth Geelong, Victoria
Date of death 8 September 1944(1944-09-08) (aged 26)
Place of death Charters Towers, Far North Queensland
Original team(s) Marnock Vale
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1939–40 Geelong 25 (39)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1940.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

John Thomas Lynch (9 August 1918 – 8 September 1944) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong, until he defected to the VFA club Preston without clearance in 1941.[1] He was killed in a motorcar accident while on active service during World War II.

Family[edit]

The second child of James Lynch (1887-1976), and Jessie Lynch (1892-1936), née McWilliam,[2] John Thomas Lynch was born at Geelong on 9 August 1918. One of his younger brothers, Marty Lynch also played VFL football: for Geelong and for South Melbourne.

He married Coral Joan Jamieson in 1939. They had two children, Marion and Merlyn.[3]

Education[edit]

Following his mother's death he went to live with his aunt and uncle, and was educated at St Joseph's College, Geelong.

Football[edit]

Geelong (VFL)[edit]

Recruited from the Marnock Vale Football Club in the Geelong and District Football Association in 1938, he spent some time with the Seconds—including his game at full-forward in the Second's 1938 Grand Final win against Footscray (12.19 (91) to 12.8 (80)) at the MCG, on Show Day (29 September 1938)[4]—before making his senior debut, against Carlton, at the Corio Oval, on 29 April 1939.

Preston (VFA)[edit]

In 1941 he crossed to Preston in the VFA without a clearance.[5][6] He played in 21 matches and kicked 132 goals in his single season with Preston.

Although he was clearly Preston's leading goal-kicker in 1941, he was not the Associations leading goal-kicker—Coburg's Bob Pratt had kicked 165 goals in the home-and-away season (total 183 goals, including finals matches), Camberwell's Laurie Nash had kicked a total of 141 goals (also Prahran's Roy Lyons had kicked 109 goals, and Williamstown's "Soapy" Vallance had kicked 92 goals).

Death[edit]

He died, as the result of an accident, in North Queensland on 8 September 1944: "Lynch and some of his mates were returning [to camp] in the back of a Jeep from a night out in Charters Towers when it ran into a mob of cattle. Lynch was thrown forward onto the Jeep's bonnet, fractured his spine and died shortly after, on September 8, 1944." (Main & Allen, 2002, p. 292).[7][8]

He was buried in the War Cemetery at Woombye, Queensland.[9]

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Holmesby & Main (2007).
  2. ^ She died, at the age of 44, due to "a blood clot caused by varicose veins" (Main & Allen, 2002, p.291).
  3. ^ Main & Allen (2002), p.292.
  4. ^ Seconds' Final, The Argus (Wednesday, 28 September 1938), p.26.
  5. ^ League Players Join V.F.A.: Disqualification Incurred, The Age, (Thursday, 10 April 1941), p.4.
  6. ^ Lynch a Star Forward, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 30 July 1941), p.11.
  7. ^ Death Notices: On Active Service: Lynch, The Herald, (Tuesday, 12 September 1944), p.4.
  8. ^ Footballer Killed, The Argus, (Wednesday, 13 September 1944), p.11.
  9. ^ Driver John Thomas Lynch (VX77041), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

References[edit]

  • Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  • Main, J. & Allen, D., "Lynch, Jack", pp. 291–293 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-74095-010-0
  • World War Two Nominal Roll: Driver John Thomas Lynch (VX77041), 'National Archives of Australia.
  • Roll of Honour: Private John Thomas Lynch (VX77041), Australian War Memorial.

External links[edit]

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