Donald Gross (born 1 April 1947) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL). Gross was a left footer, playing mostly as a rover and on the wings. He came from Euroa in north-east Victoria and had only just turned 18 when he made his debut in the opening round of the

1965 VFL season The 1965 VFL season was the 69th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 17 April until 25 September, and comprised an ...

.AFL Tables: Don Gross
/ref> His 16 games that year included a preliminary final victory over Collingwood, but a broken collarbone sustained in the win ruled him out of the grand final. Having missed out on selection in Essendon's 1965 premiership team, Gross got his chance three years later when he was named on the bench for the

1968 VFL Grand Final The 1968 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 28 September 1968. It was the 71st annual Grand Final o ...

, but they would lose to

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

by just three points. He played 19 games in 1971 and kicked 22 goals, both of which were career bests. His efforts during the season were recognised in the

W. S. Crichton Medal The Crichton Medal is the name given to the best and fairest award for the Australian rules football team the Essendon Football Club. The naming of the award is in honour of Wally Crichton, a former administrator for Essendon (who was a committe ...

count, with Gross finishing in third position. His only VFL appearance in 1974 was his 121st and final game for Essendon but he was prominent in the reserves that season as captain-coach. He also coached the Essendon Under-19s side, from 1977 to 1980.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gross, Don 1947 births Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Essendon Football Club players Euroa Football Club players Living people