Peter Nicholas Kanis (13 April 1931 – 25 November 2021) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL)[2] and Norwood in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).[3]
| Peter Kanis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Peter Nicholas Kanis | ||
| Date of birth | 13 April 1931 | ||
| Date of death | 25 November 2021 (aged 90)[1] | ||
| Original team(s) | Melbourne High | ||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1952–56 | Hawthorn (VFL) | 41 (11) | |
| 1959–60 | Norwood (SAFL) | 6 (0) | |
| Total | 47 (11) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1960. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family
editThe son of Constantine Kanis (1898-1983), and Asimina Kanis (1902-1968), née Amonis, Peter Kanis was born on 13 April 1931.
Education
editHe attended Melbourne High School, and was the captain of the school's First XVIII.[4]
Hawthorn (VFL)
editThe VFL established a competition known as the Victorian Junior Football League in 1919; it was renamed "the Seconds" in 1924 (i.e., the clubs' Second XVIIIs), and "the Reserves" in 1960.[5] In between 1946 and 1959 the VFL conducted a "Thirds" competition (i.e., the clubs' Third XVIIIs), it was renamed "the Under-19s" in 1960. One of the important advantages of a "Thirds" team was seen to be that it "enable[d] players to move from team to team without the necessity of obtaining a clearance to rise from Third to Second Eighteen or vice versa".[6]
Although some sources indicate that Kanis came to Hawthorn via the Melbourne High School Old Boys Football Club (MHSOB) in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA),[7] others indicate, more strongly, that he had risen through the Hawthorn system from playing with the "Thirds",[8] to playing with the "Seconds".[9][10] and, as well the fact that he was listed, by the MHSOB, as one of the "former AFL/VFL players who started their football at MHS and/or MHSOBFC",[11] suggests that the "or" applies in his case, and that he was recruited while still a student at Melbourne High School.
In his last match for the Hawthorn club he was the captain of the team that played in the 1956 (Seconds') first semi-final, against Richmond, at the MCG on 25 August 1956 — the Hawthorn Club's first-ever appearance in a VFL final in any grade[12] — and, although Hawthorn lost the match, 5.9 (39) to 9.12 (66), Kanis was one of the Hawthorn Seconds' best players.[13]
Notes
edit- ^ Kanis, Peter Nicholas
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 463. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
- ^ "Redlegs Museum Players". www.redlegsmuseum.com.au. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ Melbourne High Win From Adelaide, The Argus, (Saturday, 19 August 1950) p.10.
- ^ The Sporting World: A Look Ahead, The Age, (Wednesday, 12 March 1919), p.11; Smith, W.H. & Ogilvey, A., "The Football Season (Letter to the Editor)", The Age, (Thursday, 13 March 1919), p.6; Riley, M., "Class and Warfare: The MAFA and the VFL Seconds", Boyles Football Photos, 4 April 2014.
- ^ Second Played Badly Until Near End, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 16 June 1945), p.3.
- ^ For example, Hawthorn, The Argus, (Friday, 9 July 1954), p.17.
- ^ Hawthorn Form Impressive, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 7 April 1951), p.10; Many Hawthorn Recruits, The Herald, (Saturday, 7 April 1951), p.11.
- ^ Listed as 19th man in the Hawthorn Seconds team to play Collingwood on 13 May 1950 ([1] League Seconds' Teams for Tomorrow, The Argus, (Friday, 12 May 1950), p.19]) -- i.e., ten weeks prior to him captaining the MHS First XVIII in Adelaide.
- ^ These Made League Lists: Hawthorn: New, The Age, (Monday, 14 April 1952), p.10.
- ^ Past Players Remembered, The Amateur Footballer, Vol.6, No.11, (8 July 2006), p.13.
- ^ Haby, Peter, "60 years ago: First Hawks final", Hawks Museum, 25 May 2016.
- ^ Richmond Seconds have Easy Victory, The Age, (Monday, 27 August 1956), p.16
References
edit- Peter Kanis, Redlegs Museum: History of the Norwood Football Club.
- Gordon, Harry, "Migrant Sports Stars Among Our Top-Liners", The Good Neighbour, No.45, (October 1957), Department of Immigration, (Canberra), pp.4-5: the article includes a photograph of Peter Kanis, the captain of a team from Melbourne's Olympic Club, that played an Australian Rules Football match, in Melbourne, against a team from Perth's Hellenic Club (alongside the Hellenic Club's captain, Nick Gelavis).]
External links
edit- Peter Kanis's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Peter Kanis at AustralianFootball.com
- Peter Kanis: Boyles Football Photos.
- Peter Kanis, at Redlegs Museum.