Jack Worrall
John Worrall (20 June 1861 – 17 November 1937) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFA, and a Test cricketer. He was also a prominent coach in both sports and a journalist.
| Jack Worrall | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | John Worrall | ||
| Date of birth | 21 June 1861 | ||
| Place of birth | Maryborough, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 17 November 1937 (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Fairfield, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | South Ballarat | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1883–1884 | South Ballarat | 5 (2) | |
| 1884–1887; 1889–1893 | Fitzroy | 90 (132) | |
| Total | 95 (134) | ||
| Coaching career3 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 1902–1909 | Carlton | 144 (100–43–1) | |
| 1911–1920 | Essendon | 135 (65–67–3) | |
| Total | 279 (165–110–4) | ||
|
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1920. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| Source: AustralianFootball.com | |||
A small, nuggety man with broad shoulders, pink complexion and intense brown eyes, Worrall was one of Australia's great all-round sports people of the nineteenth century, and was involved in Australian football and cricket at the elite level for many decades. After his retirement, he coached both sports, and is considered the "father" of Australian football coaching. Worrall had an extended career as a sporting journalist, and he was a highly respected member of the press box right up until his death in 1937. He was no stranger to conflict, and his forthright manner embroiled him in a number of sporting controversies throughout his lifetime.