Albert George Percy "Staunch" Owens (20 August 1900 – 7 October 1986) was an Australian rules footballer who played for East Perth in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). He was a seven-time WAFL premiership player with East Perth and was on the losing side of a grand final three times. After turning to umpiring he was involved in a further five grand finals, a total of 15 as a player and umpire.
| George Owens | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Albert George Percy Owens | ||
| Nickname(s) | Staunch | ||
| Date of birth | 20 August 1900 | ||
| Place of birth | Kalgoorlie, Western Australia | ||
| Date of death | 7 October 1986 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Mount Lawley, Western Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | East Perth juniors | ||
| Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Ruck, centre half-forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1917–1932 | East Perth | 195 (226) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 1923–1929 | Western Australia | 17 (20) | |
| Umpiring career | |||
| Years | League | Role | Games |
| 1935–1941 | WANFL | Field umpire | 135 |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1932. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Source: AustralianFootball.com | |||
Playing career
editBorn in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,[1] Owens moved to Perth as a child, and played in a combined Perth schools team that toured the Goldfields in 1911.
He made his debut for the East Perth team in the Ex-Scholars' league at the age of 14, and two years later made his debut for East Perth's senior team in the WAFL.[2]
Owens was with East Perth during a golden period for the club and played in seven premiership team, including five in a row from 1919 to 1923. He was generally a ruckman but could often play as a centre half-forward. In 1925 he won the Sandover Medal, receiving four votes.[3]
Owens finished his career with 195 WAFL games for East Perth.[4][5]
He was also a regular Western Australian interstate representative and appeared for his state in both the 1924 Hobart and 1927 Melbourne carnivals. In all he represented his state on 17 occasions.[4]
Umpiring career
editFollowing his retirement he became an umpire, beginning in 1934 in the Public Schools Association (PSA). After umpiring PSA finals in his first year, he became a WANFL[6] umpire the following year. He officiated in the league grand final in his first year as a WANFL umpire. He later controlled the 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1941 grand finals. In all he officiated in 135 league games between 1935 and 1941.[2][4]
Honours
editIn 2004 inducted into the Western Australian Hall of Champions and the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.[1][4]
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^ a b "WEST AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Playing Record of all Members @ March 2012". West Australian Football Commission. March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
- ^ a b "STAUNCH" OWENS LOOKS BACK ON FAMOUS OCCASION – The Daily News. Published 25 June 1936. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
- ^ "The Sandover Medal - George Owens Secures Coveted Honor". The Sunday Times. 20 September 1925. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d "WA Hall of Champions Inductee - George Owens". Western Australian Institute of Sport. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- ^ "Every League Premiership Player in Argus Finals System Era. 1904 - 1930". West Australian Football Commission. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- ^ The WAFL became known as the Western Australian National Football League in 1930
External links
edit- George Owens at AustralianFootball.com