Swans chat Vale Austin Robertson Jr (1943-2023)

[goswannies]

The son of former South Melbourne speedster, Austin “Ocker” Robertson Snr, Austin Robertson Jr, has passed aged 80.

Spending a solitary season with South in 1966, Robertson Jr topped the club’s goal kicking with 60 from 18 games. However, in the WAFL Austin was prolific kicking 1211 from 251 games with Subiaco and topping the WAFL goal kicking on 8 occasions. Imagine if he had stayed at South!

Post football, he was instrumental in the establishment of World Series Cricket and was for a time Shane Warne’s manager.

Condolences to the Robertson family, the Swans & Subiaco football clubs.

[Nico]

So he was 23 when he played with us. How did we not keep him?

[goswannies]

So he was 23 when he played with us. How did we not keep him?

I believe that Austin Jr was enticed to South by our then captain/coach, Bob Skilton. He departed after one season when Bob was replaced as coach by Alan Miller. Part of the attraction might have been that Austin Snr had three times led the scoring in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s (and missed the 1933 premiership as he was attempting to negotiate a foot race in the US against a US champion sprinter - a race that never eventuated). In his solitary season at South, he topped our goal kicking and finished second in the VFL behind Essendon’s Ted Fordham, with 60 goals in 18 games. It seems that while his heritage is South (his dad and uncle played with the Swans), his heart was with Subiaco.

Also consider that during that period, the VFL didn’t have the elite footballing status that is subsequently came to. Many players either didn’t join VFL clubs (eg Barry Robran) or joined quite late in their illustrious careers perhaps just to show that they could match the VFL players (think Graeme Cornes, Russell Ebert) and the parochialism for the local elite competition (WAFL/SANFL) was strong. I also suspect the pay disparity between the VFL/WAFL might also have been less.

Ultimately, it’s sad that a champion son of a favourite son didn’t display his prolific footballing skills in red and white, but we had him for a season and that was pretty special.

Saw him play that year. Very quick on the lead.

Must be in his genes. His dad claimed to be the fastest man on earth. His dad’s biography is a good read.

[Blood Fever]

Saw him play that year. Very quick on the lead. Wore number 16 IIRC, maybe the same number as his dad.

[Sandridge]

Saw him play that year. Very quick on the lead. Wore number 16 IIRC, maybe the same number as his dad.

I saw him too, BF, and thought he wore number 16 but wasn't confident about that. Thanks for confirming!

He was great for us that year and i remember being disappointed he didn't stay.

[Blood Fever]

Very accurate kick for goal with drop punts IIRC. Not everybody kicked them then believe it or not. In fact, it might have been a reasonably small minority if my memory is not playing tricks on me. It's going back a bit!

[Sandridge]

Very accurate kick for goal with drop punts IIRC. Not everybody kicked them then believe it or not. In fact, it might have been a reasonably small minority if my memory is not playing tricks on me. It's going back a bit!

I think you're right, BF. Doug Wade used the torpedoes, as did Peter Hudson. I think it was Collingwood's Peter McKenna who really popularised the drop punt kick for goal. But then, like you, my memory may faulty! And only fans of our vintage would recall that there used to be a thing called a drop kick! And a stab pass!!

[Jimitron5000]

I had heard of Austin Robertson Snr but not Jnr. It's quite a record he has, must have been an exceptional player. A shame that he was only with us for a season.

[Blood Fever]

I think you're right, BF. Doug Wade used the torpedoes, as did Peter Hudson. I think it was Collingwood's Peter McKenna who really popularised the drop punt kick for goal. But then, like you, my memory may faulty! And only fans of our vintage would recall that there used to be a thing called a drop kick! And a stab pass!!

Part of World of Sports Champion Kick!

- - - Updated - - -

Also in that competition, you had to kick with your wrong foot as well.

[Sandridge]

Part of World of Sports Champion Kick!

- - - Updated - - -

Also in that competition, you had to kick with your wrong foot as well.

Aah, the memories!!

[giant]

AR Jr was a goal-kicking phenomenon in the WANFL (as it then was) - didn't realise he played with Souths.

And just to make me feel very old, I can remember Sr (admittedly as a very old man) coming to Claremont training to teach us about sprinting. Not many may know that he was the "world's fastest man" at one point.

[goswannies]

I had heard of Austin Robertson Snr but not Jnr. It's quite a record he has, must have been an exceptional player. A shame that he was only with us for a season.

Just 1 season and still had a footy card. He was that good

[Sandridge]

Just 1 season and still had a footy card. He was that good

https://jajascollectables.com/products/austin-robertson-hall-of-fame-red-back-parallel-2018-select-afl-legacy

[goswannies]

https://jajascollectables.com/produc...ect-afl-legacy

I meant a card during his playing days. Plenty of players with no AFL/VFL games have them in the Hall of Fame series

[Sandridge]

I meant a card during his playing days. Plenty of players with no AFL/VFL games have them in the Hall of Fame series

Did a quick Google and that's all I found. Would love to see it if you find it. Was it a Scanlen's card?