Henry James Kadwell (29 May 1902 – 27 October 1999) was an Australian professional

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 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. An

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

international and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

interstate representative who later moved to the-halves, he played his club football for South Sydney with whom he won the 1927 and 1928 NSWRFL premierships, and later

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

whom he captain-coached to the 1933 grand final.

Playing career

South Sydney

A South Sydney junior from the Redfern United Club, Kadwell first played for the Rabbitohs in the first grade

NSWRFL premiership The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sou ...

in 1927. At the end of his first season he played at fullback in Souths' win over Western Suburbs in the grand final. The following year he was first selected in the

New South Wales rugby league team The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Also known as the Blues due to their sky blue jerseys, the team competes in the ann ...

and again won a premiership with Souths, this time playing at and scoring two tries. In 1929 Kadwell moved to halfback and was selected in this position for the

1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain The 1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the fourth Kangaroo tour, and took the Australia national rugby league team all around England and also into Wales. The tour featured the ninth Ashes series (rugby league), Ashes series which compr ...

, becoming Kangaroo No. 163. On the tour he played in eight matches, but no tests. Following the residential qualification rules of the time, Kadwell was forced to leave Souths in 1930.

St. George

Kadwell became

's captain-coach for the

1931 NSWRFL season The 1931 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-fourth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. During the season, which lasted from April until September, eight teams from acros ...

and was also the club's top point scorer in first grade. While representing

against England early in the 1932 season, Kadwell broke his leg. ending his season and Arthur 'Snowy' Justice took over as St. George captain (and would later become coach and secretary of the club). Kadwell returned in

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

as St. George captain (with 'Ricketty' Johnston taking over as coach) to guide Saints to the 1933 premiership-deciding final, (lost 18–5 to Newtown) and was again the St. George club's top point-scorer. He was again captain in the

1934 NSWRFL season The 1934 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the twenty-seventh season of Sydney’s top-grade rugby league club competition, Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested the premiership during the season which ...

, his final season, earning selection for New South Wales once more and was again the St. George club's top point-scorer.

Post-playing career

After retirement, Kadwell helped the St. George club as a lower grade coach and selector. On 7 February 1945 he was selected by the club's committee to replace Bill Kelly as first-grade coach, although Percy Williams later shared the position. At the time of his death in 1999, Kadwell was the oldest living

Australian Kangaroos The Australian National Rugby League Team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the 'Northern Union game' in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian ...

player, and the last surviving member of the 1929-30 Kangaroo Tour.

References

External links

'Harry 'Mick' Kadwell: From Dally M to the NRL' at ''rl1908.com''
1902 births 1999 deaths Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league administrators Australian rugby league coaches New South Wales rugby league team players Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Sydney South Sydney Rabbitohs players Sportsmen from New South Wales St. George Dragons captains St. George Dragons coaches St. George Dragons players {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-stub