Jim Grace (Australian Footballer)

Jim Grace (21 September 1868 – 31 December 1938) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club in the club's early years. His younger brother, Mick Grace, played beside him at Fitzroy.

Football

Grace joined Fitzroy in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1890. He played as a full-forward and dominated Fitzroy's goalkicking during his time at the club, winning the club's leading goalkicker award every year from his debut through until 1896. He was also the league's leading goalkicker in his first two seasons, 1890 and 1891. Grace was part of Fitzroy's 1895 premiership team, the same season that his younger brother Mick joined him at the Maroons.

After Fitzroy broke away from the VFA to join the new Victorian Football League (VFL) competition, Grace spent a further three seasons at Fitzroy, playing in Fitzroy's 1898 and 1899 premierships. By this stage of his career, he played often as a ruckman and follower, spending less time at full-forward than he had earlier in his career.

He retired at the end of 1899, with his career tally of 281 goals standing as a club record until Round 3 of 1918, when it was broken by Jim Freake. This record was subsequently broken in Round 6 of 1931 by Jack Moriarty (son of Grace's long time teammate Geoff), who still holds the record.

References

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1868 births
Australian rules footballers from Melbourne
Fitzroy Football Club players
Fitzroy Football Club Premiership players
1938 deaths
Fitzroy Football Club (VFA) players
Two-time VFL/AFL Premiership players
People from Burnley, Victoria

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