George Hedley "Hedley" BLACKMORE

  General Notes:

Always known as just Hedley

Played Australian Rules Football for the Carlton club in Melbourne
from http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/bi-bz.htm#Hedley Blackmore (Carlton & Brunswick)
"One of several top line full backs to have represented Brunswick, Hedley Blackmore actually cut his football teeth as a forward with Carlton, where he played 51 VFL games and booted 76 goals between 1923 and 1927. Extremely reliable overhead, whether spoiling or marking, he was also a superb kick, and extremely tenacious and aggressive when battling for the ball one-on-one. At Brunswick, he was a major reason behind the club's qualifying for a rare finals series in 1929, but fourth place was all it could manage, albeit that this was the highest placed finish that was managed during Blackmore's career. Hedley Blackmore captained the Pottery Workers in 1932 and 1933."

Other info can be found via Google, searching for "Hedley Blackmore"

e.g. at http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Hedley+Blackmore
Career : 1923 - 1927
Debut : Round 1, 1923 vs Fitzroy, aged 22 years, 94 days
Carlton Player No. 379
Games : 51
Goals : 76
Last Game : Semi Final, 1927 vs Richmond, aged 26 years, 229 days
Guernsey Nos. 23 (1923-24) and (1925-27)
Height : 175 cm (5 ft. 8 in.)
Weight : 76 kg (12 stone, 0 lbs.)
DOB : 30 January, 1901

George Hedley Blackmore was a promising full-back from Marybough in central Victoria when he was recruited by Carlton in 1923 . Over the following five years, he transformed himself into a lively, free-scoring forward, and enjoyed a couple of excellent seasons during a bleak period for the Navy Blues.

Born in Maldon, near Castlemaine in 1901, Blackmore came to Princes Park as a 22 year-old, and was rushed straight into Carlton's line-up at full-back for the first game of the 1923 season against Fitzroy at Brunswick St. The Blues dominated the match throughout the first half, but fell into a deep hole after half-time to be beaten by 23 points. Blackmore struggled to adapt to the pace and intensity of VFL football on debut, as he did the following week, when Carlton hosted St Kilda at Princes Park and were demolished by 44 points. He was omitted from the senior team at that point, and encouraged to find his feet with the seconds.

Eventually, Hedley returned to senior football late in the year - not at full-back, but as a follower resting forward. And it was his cameo role in Carlton's draw with Collingwood in round 16 at Princes Park that set the stage for the rest of his career. At half time in that game, the Blues trailed by 15 points. On a hunch, Carlton captain-coach Horrie Clover asked his team to isolate Blackmore and his opponent at half-forward, and back Hedley to beat his man one on one. The ploy worked beautifully. Too good in the air and too clever on the ground, Blackmore took his opponent apart, kicking three goals and almost single-handedly dragging his team back into the contest. From then on, his place was almost exclusively in attack.

Having begun his career in guernsey 23 , Hedley changed to number 8 in 1925 and his career reached a new high. Playing predominantly at half-forward, he kicked 32 goals in 14 games, despite the Blues' overall poor record of five wins and twelve losses. In 1926 he had a sensational week between rounds 12 and 13 , booting five goals against Hawthorn, and six against Melbourne, to finish the year with 26 goals from 17 games.

Then in 1927 , a rift apparently developed between Blackmore and Clover, even as Carlton gelled into a strong combination and qualified for the finals for the first time in five years. Hedley's only VFL finals match - another typically bruising, physical Semi Final against Richmond - ended in a last-minute victory to the Tigers, followed by his decision to leave Princes Park and accept a big offer from VFA front-runners Brunswick.

At that time, the Wicks had a potent attack and a questionable defence. So Blackmore returned to full-back, where his experience proved invaluable and he gave the Magpies excellent value for another five seasons. In 1930 he stepped up to the captaincy, before assuming the dual role of captain-coach in 1933. Mid-way through that season, he was replaced by another ex-Blue in Walter Raleigh .

Later in life, Hedley went home to Maldon, where he passed away at the age of 91 on August 22, 1992.

Milestones
50 Games: Round 18, 1927 Vs St Kilda




births, deaths & marriages from Digger - Federation Index.
Victoria 1889-1901
Surname: BLACKMORE
Given Names: Geo Hedley
Event: B
Sex: M
Spouse Surname/Father: Richd
Spouse Gvn Names/Mother: Mary WEBBER
Age:
Age Code:
Birth Place: MALDON
Death Place:
Year: 1901
Reg. Number: 4744

Family Name: BLACKMORE
Given Name(s): Hedley
Sex: Unknown
Event: MARRIAGE
Father's Name:
Mother's Name:
Spouse's Family Name: COX
Spouse's Given Name(s): Susie Wfred
Age:
Birth Place:
Death Place:
Registration Year: 1923
Registration Number: 2434

Findmypast - Parish Records Collection - burial
State: Victoria
Country: Australia
Rank:
Given names: Hedley George
Surname: BLACKMORE
Year: 1992
Cemetery: Maldon Cemetery
Record source: Newspaper Funeral Notices for country Victoria
Data provider: The Genealogical Society of Victoria

Probate records on Victoria web site
GEORGE HEDLEY BLACKMORE, GENTLEMAN, resided at Maldon, died on 22 Aug 1992, reference 1060/372


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HEDLEY BLACKMORE
Male Family


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Event(s):
Birth: About 1898 Of Maldon, , Victoria, Australia

Christening:
Death:
Burial:


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Marriages:
Spouse: SUSIE WINIFRED COX Family
Marriage: 1923 , Victoria, Australia



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Messages:
Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. No additional information is available. Ancestral File may list the same family and the submitter.


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Source Information:
No source information is available

Hedley married Susie Winifred COX, daughter of Arthur Richard COX and Jessie GILES, in 1923 in Victoria, Australia. (Susie Winifred COX was born on 21 Jan 1902 in Maldon, Victoria, Australia,¹ died on 9 Mar 1972 in Maldon, Victoria, Australia ¹ and was buried on 9 Mar 1972 in Maldon, Victoria, Australia ².)