Harold Roy McConnell (21 August 1927 – 24 July 2003) was an
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 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
He married Patricia Mae Carter on 29 October 1951.
Football
He played for
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 VFL.
::
cConnell wasa strong, dashing defender. He was well known as close playing spoiler with good spring and unexpected speed in his long legs. Surprisingly, he had a vision range of not much more than fifty yards, but this never affected his play. He had a remarkable ability for such a big man and was a top full back and centre half back during his career. He was a member of the 1949 and 1950 premiership teams and burst into League prominence by beating Carlton star,
Jack Howell, in the 1949 grand final.
Controversial retirement
McConnell retired, controversially, at the end of the 1956 season.
Vice-Captain of the senior team, and its regular full-back, McConnell was selected as its 20th man in the last match of the season, against Geelong.
::"He withdrew from the team
nnouncing his immediate retirement on the Fridayclaiming that his form warranted a place in the eighteen. 'I have no grudge against Essendon, but I consider that I could have had a better go this season', he said."
The first emergency,
John Towner
John William Towner (19 November 1933 – 19 January 2023) was an Australian rules footballer who played 87 senior games for the Essendon Football Club from 1953 to 1959.
Career
Recruited from the Ascot Vale Football Club, Towner made his de ...
, was appointed 20th man for the match.
Essendon Football Club
McConnell served on the Essendon Football Club's Committee (1957-1965), was its secretary (1973-1979), following the retirement of
Bill Cookson, and was its first general manager (1980).
[ Barry Capuano replaced McConnell served as general manager from 1981 to 1988 (Maplestone, 1996, p.417).]
Footnotes
References
* Maplestone, M., ''Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996'', Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996.
External links
*
*
Roy McConnell's profile at Essendon FC''Boyles Football Photos'': Roy McConnell.
Essendon Football Club players
Essendon Football Club premiership players
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
1927 births
2003 deaths
VFL/AFL premiership players
{{AFL-bio-1920s-stub