Jim Knight (footballer)

James Bell Knight (3 January 1918 – 11 October 1943) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Carlton in the VFL.

Family
The son of Archie Cecil Clarence Knight (1896–1965), and Margaret May Knight (1892–1960), née Paterson, James Bell Knight was born on 3 January 1918.

Geelong
Knight was Geelong's best and fairest player in 1941.

Carlton
He joined Carlton in 1942 after Geelong withdrew from the competition due to the war and spent two seasons with the club.

Military service
While playing at Carlton he received military training; and, in 1943, he joined the RAAF, and served in Papua New Guinea, fighting against the Japanese.

He was killed on 11 October 1943 when the bombs aboard his Douglas Boston bomber (A28-26) exploded after the aircraft crashed during take-off from Goodenough Island in Papua New Guinea. The other two crew members survived the accident.

Remembered
The runner up in the Geelong Best and Fairest now wins the Jim Knight Memorial Trophy.