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Single Gamer

Tom Hanson

Career : 1911
Debut and Only Game : Round 1, 1911 vs Essendon, aged 19 years, 301 days
Carlton Player No. 247
Goals : 0
Height : 178 cm (5 ft. 10 in.)
Weight : 75.5 kg (11 stone, 12 lbs.)
DOB : July 2, 1891


Tom Hanson was born in St Kilda, and played only game for Carlton, but it was a memorable one. When he ran out onto the East Melbourne Football Ground on Saturday, April 29, 1911 to play for Carlton against Essendon, he joined the first generation of openly professional VFL players. Earlier, Carlton had been at the forefront of moves by eight of the ten league clubs to end the sham of amateurism in Victoria’s most popular sport, and eventually, a resolution was passed that declared , ‘from this time onward, all players shall play as open and undisguised professionals.’

Twenty year-old Hanson was a well-built apprentice wood machinist who had been recruited by the Blues from Grosvenor, a local amateur side. Named in the senior team for the first time against Essendon, he was assigned to a half-forward flank alongside our stalwart Jim Marchbank, and another tyro, Roy Johnson.

Coaching Essendon that day was Jack Worrall, the visionary former coach of the Blues, who had taken Carlton to our glorious 1906-07-08 hat-trick of flags, before being dumped by the club in acrimonious circumstances. In his debut in charge of of the Same Old, Worrall’s men matched the Blues in a willing contest, and the game ended in a draw.

Hanson was cleared to South Yarra in May of 1912. It is known that he was living in Elsternwick in August 1914, when Germany invaded Belgium and the tensions that had been simmering in Europe for months exploded into World War 1. Tom volunteered for active service, and after training as an infantryman in Australia, transferred to the Australian Army Medical Corps soon after his arrival in France in August, 1916.

He proved to be an outstanding medic and a born leader. He progressed rapidly through the ranks, and was eventually commissioned as a Lieutenant in May, 1918. Despite a bout of trench fever (a virulent form of influenza) and a broken nose suffered in training for an exhibition game of Australian football in London, Tom survived the war and returned home in December, 1919.

Footnote:
There was a Thomas Bucknell Hanson (2857) who joined the AIF August 02 1915 in Armidale NSW aged 24 yrs.
He was born in St.Kilda in 1891. On enlistment he was 5ft 10ins and 11st 8lbs, and was an apprenticed wood machinist in St.Kilda Vic. Next of kin, Mother, Mrs Margaret Hanson 7 Hotham Grove Elsternwick Vic.
6th Reinforcement 22nd Battalion, embarked on the HMAT A38 Ulysses (Embarkation Roll No. 23/39/2) on October 27 1915, served in Egypt and the Western Front. Joined the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance on his promotion to Lieutenant, 7th Battalion. Fractured his nose while playing football during recreational training November 28 1918.
He returned to Australia November 01 1919 and died aged 95 on December 27 1986.


Blueseum: Summary of playing statistics for Tom Hanson | Hanson's Blueseum Image Gallery
Contributors to this page: blueycarlton , Jarusa , molsey , Bombasheldon , PatsFitztrick , tmd1 , WillowBlue and admin .
Page last modified on Friday 21 of June, 2019 09:35:08 AEST by blueycarlton.

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