James Vivian "Snowy" Maxfield (27 August 1893 – 23 August 1953) was an Australian rules footballer who played with

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

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).

Family

James Vivian Maxfield was born at Bendigo, Victoria, on 27 August 1893. He married Kathleen Ursula O'Rourke in 1924.

Education

He was educated at the Marist Brothers' College in Bendigo.

Military service

He enlisted in the First AIF in February 1916, and served overseas, returning to Australia in June 1919.

Football

Bendigo City (BFL)

A talented local footballer in the Newbridge district, in 1915, he played three matches with the Bendigo City Football Club in the Bendigo Football League.

Training Units (AIF)

He played for the (losing) Australian Training Units team in the famous "Pioneer Exhibition Game" of Australian Rules football, held in London, in October 1916. He was one of the team's best players, he scored one of its four goals.

Morwell (CGFL)

He played with the Morwell Football Club, in the Central Gippsland Football League (CGFL), for four seasons (1920-1923).

Northcote (VFA)

In 1921, he played two games with the VFA club Northcote.

Richmond (VFL)

on 28 May 1924, he was granted a clearance from Morwell to Richmond, and he played his first senior match, against St Kilda, at the Punt Road Oval, on 31 May 1924. Having played well in his first three matches, he was omitted from the Richmond side that met Carlton, at Princes Park, on 21 June 1924, on the grounds of that he was (allegedly) injured. Within days, however, it became clear that he had been stood down (i.e., rather than being "omitted"), due to Richmond's concerns in relation to the status of the clearance that Maxfield had been granted a month earlier.

Maxfield's VFL permit cancelled

On 25 June 1924, both the Richmond Football Club's Secretary, Percy Page, and Maxfield attended the VFL's Permit and Umpire Committee meeting. In his presentation to the meeting, Page revealed that it had been brought to his attention over the preceding week that, rather than coming to Richmond as a free agent from the "unallotted territory" of Morwell, Maxfield "had played two games with Northcote in 1921"; and that, as soon as he

age Age or AGE may refer to: Time and its effects * Age, the amount of time someone or something has been alive or has existed ** East Asian age reckoning, an Asian system of marking age starting at 1 * Ageing or aging, the process of becoming older ...

became aware of that fact, he had communicated with the Northcote club, and had obtained a clearance for Maxfield (the clearance had been subsequently endorsed by the VFA); and that, on those grounds, "

asked that the League should put the matter in order by granting Maxfield a permit".Anon, 1924a. In response, the VFL secretary, E.L. Wilson, "pointed out that in evidence given by Maxfield when his permit was granted month earlier axfieldhad said that he had played at Morwell and Traralgon for four years, and had not played with any other club". Giving evidence in support of his application, Maxfield stated that he had been "on holiday from Morwell" at the time of his two matches with Northcote, that he had obtained a clearance from Northcote back to Morwell at the time, and that "he had no intention of deceiving the League … when asked month earlierwhen he got his permit", and had simply "forgotten about it". In conclusion, the chairman, Mr. R. Hunt, noting that the committee "did not consider the explanation ffered by Maxfieldsatisfactory", refused the application for a permit and, as well, suspended Maxfield indefinitely. ::"After deliberating, the chairman of the committee said the committee had decided to cancel the clearance previously granted Maxfield to Richmond, and to refuse the application or a new permit that had beenunder consideration that night. In addition, it had decided that under a rule of the League Maxfield should be "suspended during the pleasure of the umpire and permit committee"." Notwithstanding the fact that the Permit Committee's decision was final, and that there was no means through which an appeal could be made, Richmond attempted to bring the matter before the committee's consideration, once again, three weeks later. The committee refused to re-open the case. Although unable to play any further for Richmond in 1924, Maxfield continued to train with the Richmond team.

Maxfield's VFL permit restored

On 1 April 1925, Maxfield and the Richmond secretary, Percy Page, attended a meeting of the VFL's Permit and Umpire Committee. Page informed the committee that Maxfield wanted to present his case in person for the lifting of his disqualification. The committee "decided that it was not necessary to hear axfield, "went into committee to discuss the matter" and, "after a long discussion … decided to take no action"; and, as a consequence, Maxfield remained disqualified. On 20 May 1925, and just before the fourth round of the 1925 VFL season, Percy Page, attended yet another meeting of the VFL's Permit and Umpire Committee and re-opened Maxfield's case, arguing that, because "Maxfield had now missed 15 matches, it was considered by the Richmond club that he had been adequately punished"; the committee considered the application "in private", and its chairman, Mr. R. Hunt, "announced that the disqualification would stand". At the 3 June 1925 meeting of the VFL's Permit and Umpire Committee Maxfield's case "was again discussed, and it was decided to permit him to apply in another month for reinstatement". Maxfield lodged his application for reinstatement on 1 July 1925, and at the committee's 8 July 1925 meeting, and "without any discussion", and after having been disqualified for 21 matches, Maxfield's request to have his suspension lifted was granted. He was immediately selected to play in Richmond's First XVII against North Melbourne, at the Arden Street Oval, on 11 July 1925, his first game since 14 June 1924.

Maffra (CGFL)

In 1926, he was captain-coach of Maffra in the Central Gippsland Football League (CGFL). Maffra won the 1926 premiership.

Traralgon (CGFL)

In 1927, he was captain-coach of the

Traralgon Football Club The Traralgon Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the city of Traralgon, Victoria. The club currently competes in the Gippsland Football League. Club history The first published football match was a ...

in the Central Gippsland Football League (CGFL). He played with the club for four seasons, only one as captain-coach, and retired from football at the end of the 1930 season.

Athlete

He was a talented sprinter who did not begin running competitively until he was nearly 30. On 26 February 1927, he won the 130-yard 1927 Sale Gift, running off 12 yards, narrowly beating the favourite, champion sprinter Tim Banner.

Death

He died at

Parkville, Victoria Parkville is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Merri-bek, M ...

on 23 August 1953.Deaths: Maxfield, ''The Age'', (Monday, 24 August 1953), p.7.
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Notes

References

Anon. (1924a), "Permits to Players: Two Important Cases", ''The Argus'', (Thursday, 26 June 1924), p.5.

Anon. (1924b), "Richmond Player's Case: J. Maxfield Suspended", ''The Age'', (Thursday, 26 June 1924), p.7.

Anon. (1924c), "Maxwell's Embargo: Richmond Makes Move", ''The (Melbourne) Herald'', (Wednesday, 16 July 1924), p.3.

Anon. (1924d), "League Notes: Hard on Maxfield", ''The Sporting Globe'', (Wednesday, 26 June 1924), p.7.

Anon. (1925), "Football: League Permit Committee: J. Maxfield's Suspension Lifted", ''The Age'', (Thursday, 9 July 1925), p.12.

Premier Football Teams in the Country: Morwell, ''The Weekly Times'', (Saturday, 18 November 1922), p.40.
* Hogan P: ''The Tigers Of Old'', Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996. * * Richardson, N. (2016), ''The Game of Their Lives'', Pan Macmillan Australia: Sydney. . * Wells ( Samuel Garnet Wells (1885-1972))
"J. Maxfield: Richmond's wing centre, who has to stand aside during the League's pleasure" (caricature), ''The (Melbourne) Herald'', (Friday, 27 June 1924), p.3.

First World War Embarkation Roll: Private James Maxfield (1693), collection of the ''Australian War Memorial''.

First World War Nominal Roll: Private James Maxfield (1693), collection of the ''Australian War Memorial''.

First World War Service Record: Private James Maxfield (1693), ''National Archives of Australia''.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maxfield, Jim 1893 births 1953 deaths Australian male sprinters Australian rules footballers from Bendigo Richmond Football Club players Morwell Football Club players Maffra Football Club players Maffra Football Club coaches Traralgon Football Club players Traralgon Football Club coaches Australian military personnel of World War I Military personnel from Victoria (Australia)