Tom Bush (Australian footballer)

Tom Bush
Personal information
Full name Tom John Bush
Born (1918-01-07)7 January 1918
Died 17 November 1951(1951-11-17) (aged 33)
Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne
Original team Berrigan
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1942, 1944 Melbourne 5 (2)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1944.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Tom Bush (7 January 1918 – 17 November 1951)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[2] He played five games for Melbourne from 1942 to 1944,[3] and later played for several clubs in regional leagues. He won the best and fairest awards as captain-coach for Peechelba and Moyhu in the late 1940's and early 1950s.[4]

Early life and career

Bush, who was originally from Berrigan[5] was cleared from St. Kilda[6] to Melbourne where he played from 1942 to 1944.

Bush enlisted in the Australian Army in 1940.[7]

Professional career

Bush played one game on permit with Coburg in 1945.[8]

Bush then played with Wangaratta in the Ovens & Murray Football League in 1945 and 1946[9] including their 1946 O&MFL premiership side, featuring in their best players.[10]

Milawa Football Club appointed Bush as captain-coach in 1947. They were runners up in the Ovens & King Football League grand final to Moyhu in 1947.[11]

Bush was then captain-coach of Coolamon Football Club in the South West Football League (New South Wales) in 1948[12] and led them to fifth position on the ladder.

In his first year as captain-coach of Peechelba Football Club in 1949 in the Murray Valley Football League, Bush won the league best and fairest award.[13] Bush was captain-coach again 1950.

Bush was captain / coach of Moyhu Football Club in the Ovens & King Football League in 1951 and won their best and fairest award too.[14]

Death

Bush died at the Royal Melbourne Hospital after an eight-week illness in November 1951. He was 33 years old.[15][16] Bush and his wife, Ruth had two young sons, Adrian and Paul, with a third son, Trevor who was born on the 29th March 1952.

Notes

  1. ^ "Tom Bush - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  2. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2009). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (8th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-921496-00-4.
  3. ^ "Heritage Numbers | Melbourne Football Club". melbournefc.com.au. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Seniors Honourboard - Moyhu Football Club". GameDay. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  5. ^ "1942 - Training Lists". The Argus. 4 May 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. ^ "1942 - Melbourne Difficulties". The Argus. 25 May 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  7. ^ "1940 - World War Two Service Record". Department of Veteran Affairs. Australian Government. 20 August 1940. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  8. ^ "The VFA Project". The VFA Project. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  9. ^ "1949 - Best & Fairest". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 2 September 1949. p. 15. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  10. ^ "1946 - WANGARATTA 1946 PREMIERS". Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic. : 1885 - 1954). 13 September 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  11. ^ "1947 - O&KFNL Grand Finals". Ovens & King FNL. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. ^ "1949 - Narandera's close game". Narandera Argus and Riverina Advertiser (NSW). 15 June 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  13. ^ "1949 - Receives best & fairest trophy". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 19 September 1949. p. 15. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Moyhu FNC - Best & Fairest List". Moyhu FNC. 1951. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  15. ^ "1950 - Tom Bush Death Notice". The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956). 19 November 1951. p. 17. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  16. ^ "1951 - Deaths". The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956). 23 November 1951. p. 18. Retrieved 11 December 2025.



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