Peter Charles Burns (5 January 1866 – 11 October 1952) 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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er in the (then)

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFA) and

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL).

Family

The son of John Burns (1829–1897), and Martha Burns (1833–1914), née Harrison, Peter Charles Burns was born at

Steiglitz, Victoria Steiglitz is a locality in the Brisbane Ranges in Victoria. It is located west of the state capital, Melbourne, Australia. At the , the Steiglitz area had a population of 61. History The von Stieglitz family bought and settled the land on wh ...

, on 5 January 1866. One of his brothers, Allen Burns, played for South Melbourne in the VFL. Peter Burns married Elizabeth Corbett (1867–1951) in South Melbourne on 18 April 1889.

Football

Burns was a tall ruckman and full-back who made his debut in 1881, aged 16 years, with Ballarat Imperials before transferring to powerful VFA club

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...

in 1885.

South Melbourne (VFA)

Burns played 126 games for South and played in four premierships before joining

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

in 1892.

Geelong (VFA and VFL)

In his last VFA game, in Round 20 of 1896, Burns played his 216th career game to break the Victorian elite football games record held by former South Melbourne teammate and captain Henry "Sonny" Elms. Following the Victorian Football League's formation in

1897 Events January * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a punitive expedit ...

, Burns would play a further 89 games before his retirement during the 1902 season, which was due to a leg injury he sustained while playing for Victoria against

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

on 26 June 1902 rather than any loss of form. Burns served as Geelong's timekeeper from his retirement in 1902 until the end of the 1941 VFL season (the sixtieth year of his association with Australian rules football). Geelong did not compete in the VFL competition in 1942 and 1943, due to war-time travel restrictions.

1899 team of "champions"

At the end of the 1899 season, in the process of naming his own "champion player", the football correspondent for ''The Argus'', Reginald Wilmot ("Old Boy"), selected a team of the best players of the 1899 VFL competition: * Backs: Maurie Collins (Essendon),

Bill Proudfoot William Henry Proudfoot (11 June 1868 – 11 January 1931) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and the Victorian Football League (VFL). Family The so ...

(Collingwood), Peter Burns (Geelong). * Halfbacks: Pat Hickey (Fitzroy), George Davidson (South Melbourne), Alf Wood (Melbourne). * Centres: Fred Leach (Collingwood),

Firth McCallum Firth William McCallum (27 December 1872 – 11 July 1910) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, loc ...

(Geelong),

Harry Wright William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 – October 3, 1895) was an American professional baseball player, manager (baseball), manager, and developer. He assembled, managed, and played Center fielder, center field for baseball's first fu ...

(Essendon). * Wings: Charlie Pannam (Collingwood),

Eddie Drohan Edward Patrick Drohan (17 July 1876 – 28 July 1938) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club and Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) before becoming an umpire and a coach. Footbal ...

(Fitzroy),

Herb Howson Herbert Howson (11 August 1872 – 8 May 1948) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and the Victorian Football League (VFL). Family The son of Harry Josiah Howso ...

(South Melbourne). * Forwards: Bill Jackson (Essendon),

Eddy James Edwin Ernest James (14 February 1874 – 16 September 1937) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the years before and following the formation of the VFL. Football James started his career as a backman, playing a game ...

(Geelong),

Charlie Colgan Charles Edward Colgan (9 February 1878 – 25 July 1935) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Family The youngest of the seven children of the tailor Patrick Colgan (1833� ...

(South Melbourne). * Ruck:

Mick Pleass George Victor "Mick" Pleass (12 November 1874 – 27 August 1925) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne and Essendon in the VFA and Victorian Football League (VFL). Football Pleass was a follower and played his e ...

(South Melbourne), Frank Hailwood (Collingwood), Joe McShane (Geelong). * Rovers: Dick Condon (Collingwood), Bill McSpeerin (Fitzroy), Teddy Rankin (Geelong). From those he considered to be the three best players — that is, Condon, Hickey, and Pleass — Wilmot selected Pat Hickey as his "champion player" of the season.

305 VFA/VFL games

Burns was the first player in elite Australian rules football to play 250 games, achieving this feat in Round 17 of the 1898 VFL season, and subsequently the first to play 300 games, achieving this feat in Round 2 of 1902. His career total of 305 games remained a Victorian elite football record until it was broken by

Gordon Coventry Gordon Richard James Coventry (25 September 1901 – 7 November 1968) was a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). Afforded ' ...

in the 1937 Grand Final, which was also Coventry's last game, with Burns in attendance as Geelong's timekeeper.

Other matches

Burns also played 14 intercolonial/interstate football matches for Victoria. If these are included, Burns was also the first player to play 300 career senior games, a feat he achieved in Round 6 of 1901, and his total of 319 career senior games was an elite Victorian elite football record until it was broken by Gordon Coventry in Round 10 of 1937; Coventry retired at the end of that season with 331 career senior games.

Death

Burns died at his residence in

Williamstown, Victoria Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay Local government areas of Victoria, ...

, on 11 October 1952.Obituary: Mr P. C. Burns, ''The Williamstown Chronicle'', (Friday, 17 October 1952), p. 4.
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Honours

In 1996, Burns was inducted into the

Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the 1996 AFL season, centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media pe ...

Footnotes

References

* * de Lacy, H. A.
"Unforgettable Characters in Football: Greatest Player Game Has Produced", ''Sporting Globe'', (Saturday, 3 May 1941), p. 6.

60 Years Connected With Football: Peter Burns Celebrates Diamond Jubilee, ''The (Emerald Hill) Record'', Saturday, 9 May 1942), p. 3.

External links

* *
''Boyles Football Photos'': Peter Burns.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, Peter 1866 births 1952 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents Ballarat Imperial Football Club players South Melbourne Football Club (VFA) players Geelong Football Club (VFA) players Geelong Football Club players Ballarat Football Club players Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees