Arthur William Patton (1916–1990) was an Australian

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s, and later became a coach and administrator. His playing, coaching & administrative career was the Balmain club in Sydney.

Career

Originally from

Figtree, New South Wales Figtree is an inner western suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is south-west of West Wollongong and connected to Wollongong by the Princes Highway and The Avenue. At the junction of the highway and The Avenue is Figtree Grove, ...

, Patton was a flying winger and prolific try scorer who played twelve seasons for the Balmain club between 1937 and 1948. He was the first player in the club's history to score more than 100 tries (in all grades). He was also a top class sprinter during the late 1930s, and placed third in the Stawell Gift in 1937. He also competed in the race in 1938 and 1939. Patton won three premierships with Balmain :

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

(as captain), 1946 and 1947. He is regarded as one of the greatest ever Balmain players.

Post playing

Patton coached Balmain in 1952 and 1953, and later became the Balmain Club Secretary in 1973.

Death

Patton died of cancer on 20 April 1990 aged 73.Sydney Morning Herald: Death Notice 21/4/1990

Accolades

In 2007, Patton was named in the Balmain team of the century.

References

1916 births 1990 deaths Australian rugby league administrators Australian rugby league players Balmain Tigers coaches Balmain Tigers players City New South Wales rugby league team players Country New South Wales rugby league team players Rugby league players from Wollongong Rugby league wingers {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1910s-stub