Jack Lynch (footballer, born 1918)
Jack Lynch | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | John Thomas Lynch | ||
Date of birth | 9 August 1918 | ||
Place of birth | Geelong, Victoria | ||
Date of death | 8 September 1944 | (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[]
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[]
Following his mother's death he went to live with his aunt and uncle, and was educated at St Joseph's College, Geelong.
Football[]
Geelong (VFL)[]
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)[]
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[]
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[]
- List of Victorian Football League players who died in active service
Footnotes[]
- ^ Holmesby & Main (2007).
- ^ She died, at the age of 44, due to "a blood clot caused by varicose veins" (Main & Allen, 2002, p.291).
- ^ Main & Allen (2002), p.292.
- ^ Seconds' Final, The Argus (Wednesday, 28 September 1938), p.26.
- ^ League Players Join V.F.A.: Disqualification Incurred, The Age, (Thursday, 10 April 1941), p.4.
- ^ Lynch a Star Forward, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 30 July 1941), p.11.
- ^ Death Notices: On Active Service: Lynch, The Herald, (Tuesday, 12 September 1944), p.4.
- ^ Footballer Killed, The Argus, (Wednesday, 13 September 1944), p.11.
- ^ Driver John Thomas Lynch (VX77041), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
References[]
- 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[]
- Jack Lynch's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Jack Lynch at AustralianFootball.com
- J.T. "Jack" Lynch, at The VFA Project.
- 1918 births
- 1944 deaths
- Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)
- Geelong Football Club players
- Preston Football Club (VFA) players
- Australian military personnel killed in World War II
- Road incident deaths in Queensland
- Australian Army personnel of World War II
- Australian Army soldiers