Jim Sandral (born 19 February 1933) is a former Australian rules football player who played for

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

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). Sandral, who didn't start playing football until the age of 16, commenced his football with

Rennie Football Club The Rennie Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the southern Riverina town of Rennie. The club currently competes in the Picola & District Football League, having previously competed in the Hume Foot ...

and played in their 1952 and 1954 premiership teams and winning the club Best and Fairest award in and 1952 and 1954. Sandral won the

Coreen & District Football League The Coreen & District Football League was an Australian rules football competition in the Coreen district of the Riverina in New South Wales, initially formed in 1909. The netball competition commenced in 1972 in line with the football fixture ...

– Best and Fairest award in 1953 and 1954. He was also runner up to his Rennie coach, Frank O' Leary in the 1952 Coreen & District Football League best and fairest award, the Archie Denis Memorial Trophy. Sandral went into the

Ovens and Murray Football League The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales and the Ovens and Murray are ...

and played with

Corowa Corowa is a town in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is on the bank of the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria, opposite the Victorian town of Wahgunyah. It is the largest town in the Federation Council ...

in 1955 and was signed up by the Melbourne Football Club after starring for the O&MFL in the 1955 Victorian Country Football Championships. Sandral went onto play in

's 1956 VFL premiership team. Only a reserve in Melbourne's semi-final win, Sandral was given a starting spot for the 1956 VFL Grand Final, on a half forward flank, due to an injury suffered by Geoff McGivern in the semi-final. He played a total of 22 league games with Melbourne. After leaving Melbourne, Sandral returned to

in 1958 as captain / coach of

in 1958 and 1959. Sandral won the

Ovens & Murray Football League The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales and the Ovens and Murray ar ...

's best and fairest award, the Morris Medal, three times. His first win was in 1959, the second of his two years as coach, then had further wins in 1962 and 1964. Sandral also won

's best and fairest award in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964. Sandral then returned home to the

and coached them from 1965 to 1970, winning the club best and fairest in 1970, plus winning the

premiership in 1970 in his last game of football! Sandral was also runner up in the

's Archie Denis Medal in 1966, 67, 68, 69 and 1970! He was inducted into the

's Hall of Fame in 2005. His son Denis played 348 senior games and won five best and fairest awards for

Corowa Rutherglen Football Club The Corowa-Rutherglen Football Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Kangaroos'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Corowa in New South Wales. Corowa-Rutherglen's football and netball squads formerly played in the O ...

was also inducted into the O&MFNL – Hall of Fame, in 2009.

References

External links

Melbourne Football Club players 1933 births Living people Australian rules footballers from New South Wales Corowa Football Club players Corowa Football Club coaches Melbourne Football Club premiership players VFL/AFL premiership players {{AFL-bio-1930s-stub