Preston Football Club – 1939 Team Photo (taken at Preston)

The 1939 photo (taken at Preston), courtesy of Australian Sports Museum

Back row: Bill Seedsman, Rex Job, Ken Watkins*, Joe Beagley, Alf Roach, Jack Clarke, Unknown, Jack Robertson*, Unknown

Middle row: Wally Gray, Unknown, Frank Dowling, Alby Morrison, Ernie Dunham*, Arthur Sleith, Bill Lowenthal

Front row: Les Ross, Wally Miller, Phil Dunstone

Jack Robertson* – Identification made on him being one of two (other is Dunham) unidentified players who were only in both 1939 photos.

Ernie Dunham* – Like Robertson. See links below.

Ken Watkins* – Unlikely in 1939 Prahran photo, but definitely in this and 1940 photo.

Note : Identifications are made from information / photos that I’ve been able to find, and as always, happy to be corrected on any errors. Also happy to hear of any new identifications.

Story, with more details, of how this all came about, can be found here –

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

Players of Round 9, 10 June, 1939 –

Game Details – The VFA Project

Bill Seedsman – 19-9-1914 – 10-10-2001. 183cms. Back row, far left.  (Based on him being the only one in both 1939 photos, 1940 and 1941 photos)

Rex Job –Back row, second from left.

https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/305313/rexs-moment-forever-frozen-in-time

Ken Watkins – 17-8-1919 – 18-4-1984. 179cms. Back row, third from left. (Based on only unidentified player that is only in 1939 (home) and 1940 photo)

Joe Beagley – Back row, fourth from left

1940 Coburg photo – https://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/site/coburg/chs/16056.html

1941 GF photo – http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Reference_+1941+VFA+Grand+Final

Alf Roach – Back row, fifth from left

Jack Clarke – Back row, fourth from right. (Based on remaining unidentified players, height, and being in 1938, both 1939, 1940 and 1941 photos)

Jack Robertson – Played mainly HFF/HBF and pockets. Back row, second from right.  Robertson and Dunham are the only ones unidentified that appear only in both 1939 photos.

Wally Gray – Middle row, far left.

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Wally+Gray

Frank Dowling – Middle row, third from left

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Preston+Senior+Team+1939+%28BrM%29

Alby Morrison – Middle row, fourth from left

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Preston+Senior+Team+1939+%28BrM%29

Representative side in 1929 –

https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/explore-our-digital-image-pool/view_image?record_key=IE1463733

Ernie Dunham – Played mostly Wing and Forward Pocket. Middle row, third from right.

Noted on VFA Project as F. Dunham, but found a reference to Ernie Dunham in ‘A history of Preston Football Club’, by Marc Fiddian.

Newspaper articles with photos –

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245044022

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187640117

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article247716858

Arthur Sleith – Middle row, second from right

https://blueseum.org/Arthur+Sleith

Bill Lowenthal – Middle row, far right

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Bill+Lowenthal

Photo from Essendon days (Front row, fourth from right) –

https://scoreboardpressure.com/2012/07/23/windy-hill-essendon-victoria/

Michael Riley’s post on Big Footy – https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/list-thread-inaccuracy-in-official-records.1089761/page-51#post-53749375

1936 Fitzroy photo linked to in Big Footy post (Back row, second from right) –

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Fitzroy+Senior+Team+1936+%28FBLHS+S36-1%29

Les Ross – Front row, far left. (Based on height, and being in 1938, both 1939, 1940 and 1941 photos)

Coached Parkside Amateurs in the VAFA and should be in this 1954 Premiership photo (not sure who he is) –

https://websites.sportstg.com/gallery.cgi?g=7272&c=0-3232-160726-0-0&e=160726&et=3&ci=5&ti=0&a=next

Wally Miller – Front row, second from left

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Fitzroy+Senior+Team+1945+%28FBLHS+S45%29

Phil Dunstone – Front row, far right. (Based on height, and being in 1938, both 1939, 1940 and 1941 photos)

Only photo found – https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188803314

Other players selected for R9, 1939 –

Ingy (Ingwald) Norman – 185cms.

1938 Brunswick photo (I. Norman) –

https://collection.australiansportsmuseum.org.au/objects/5946/photograph-of-east-brunswick-fc-1938

Stan ‘Snowie’ Lawlor – 19-11-1909 – 26-3-1958. 177 cms. Played Full Forward. Preston 1939 (8 games). Williamstown 1934-37, 1938-39 (1 game 1939). Prahran 1938 (2 games) Sth Melb 1930-31 (2). Essendon 1933 (3)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Lawler

A few mentions here, but no photos – https://www.williamstownfc.com.au/history

Stewart, ??? –

http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Stewart,__Pre39.php