Right Half Forward Flank - David 'Dolly' Christy (Melbourne, Fremantle, Imperials, East Fremantle)

Originally from Ballarat, Dave 'Dolly' Christy began his senior football career with Melbourne in the VFA, and was a key player for that club for over a decade.  In 1896, he headed west, playing briefly with Fremantle and Imperials, before joining the newly formed East Fremantle Football Club in 1898, and it was here in 196 games over the ensuing 16 seasons that he carved out a reputation for himself as one of the bona fide early champions of the game.

All told, the remarkably athletic and fit Christy played senior football for 27 years.  Equally at home on a half forward flank or as a follower, he was prominent among East Fremantle's best players time and time again throughout the early 1900s.

In the view of Dolph Heinrichs, who played alongside Christy on many occasions, "He (Christy) was a very great player, comparable with any of the football giants who have worn the Blue and White.  In physique he was slightly below the average height, but weighed about 13 stone.  He was tremendously strong in the back muscles and in the arm and shoulders, and it was almost impossible to unbalance him.......His great value was his ability to force his way out of a pack with the ball by sheer strength and tenacity, and particularly if the position was in front of goal, where he was a fine snapshot.  He lived for football.  On the field he was dour and seldom spoke and there was no joy in the game if the match wasn't won." 

Dave Christy died in Adelaide on 2 July 1919, the day before his 50th birthday.

Centre Half Forward - Albert Thurgood (Essendon & Fremantle)

'Albert the Great', as he was known, was an all round football champion of the highest order, and arguably the game's first true 'superstar'.  In Western Australia, he played with the famous Fremantle club during a time when it arguably boasted the strongest team in the land.  During his stint there he topped the WAFA goal kicking list on three consecutive occasions between 1895 and 1897, helping the side lift premierships in the first two of those years.

"Tall and magnificently built, Thurgood could play in any position on the ground and was extraordinarily fast.  It was said that he could run 100 yards in even time.  His high marking was superb, his ground work robust, and he was said to be as nimble and agile as a hare.  Like a true champion he rarely had an off day and he could kick brilliantly with every type of kick imaginable."  (From The Encyclopedia of League Footballers by Jim Main and Russell Holmesby, page 436.)

Thurgood originally played football at Brighton Grammar School before joining Essendon in 1892.  He went on to help the Same Old lift the next three VFA premierships (making it four in succession all told).  Voted Champion of the Colony in 1893, 1894 and 1901, he won Essendon's best and fairest award in 1901, and was the leading goal kicker in the VFA three times and in the VFL once.  He kicked 181 goals in three VFA seasons with Essendon, during which he would have played a maximum of 57 games.  In just under five seasons in the VFL he played 46 games, booting 89 goals.  He was particularly renowned for his prodigious kicking, being recorded on one occasion as producing a place kick of 98.48 metres, or 107 yards 2 feet 1 inch.  One of his drop kicks was allegedly measured at 82.3 metres, or 90 yards.

In 1902 there were widespread allegations that he had 'laid down' against Collingwood in the challenge final, which Essendon lost by the heavy margin for the time of 33 points.  In disgust, Thurgood demanded, and was refused, a clearance to the Magpies, whereupon he decided to retire.  He was tempted back to Essendon four years later, but after playing 8 games he was forced to retire permanently when he sustained a serious ankle injury. 

Left Half Forward Flank - William Hanneysee (Carlton & Port Melbourne)

A fine all round sportsman, Hanneysee could have succeeded in virtually any sport he chose, but fortunately for football, and for the supporters of the Port Melbourne Football Club in particular, it was to the oval ball game that he devoted most of his energy and attention.

Short in stature with a shock of dark curly hair, Hanneysee's ability to get the ball, and then gain valuable yardage for his team with fast weaving runs through the swirling mass of players who wrestled for possession, made him a natural on-ball player - the consummate rover.  He was also a regular goal scorer, an extremely valuable attribute in times when four or five goals was a high score for a team.  (From A Taste Of Port by Terry Keenan, pages 35-6.)

Hanneysee, in point of fact, was the Borough's leading goal kicker in 1886, 1888 and 1889 with tallies of 16, 31 and 17 goals respectively.

Always a strong-willed personality, Hanneysee fell out with the Port Melbourne committee at the end of the 1889 season and, after publicly crossing swords on several occasions over the ensuing couple of years, ultimately opted, after just 95 VFA games, to hang up his boots.  He later became a successful VFA umpire.