Syd Jackson

From Snoutslouts

Glenelg Career Highlights
GFC League Player Number: 624 GFC League Debut: Round 13, 1977 Glenelg 1977 13 games 21 goals
Other Career Highlights
Player East Perth 1963-67 (104 Games, 78 Goals) Player Carlton 1969-76 (134 Games, 165 Goals) Represented WA (1 game) Carlton Premiership player 1970, 1972 East Perth Fairest and Best 1966 Hayward Medal (SWNFL) 1961, 1962 East Perth Team of the Century 1945-2005 Indigenous Team of the Century 2005 Australian Representative “Galahs”1968 Australian Football World Tour WA Football Hall of Fame (2015)

Contents 1 Biographical 2 Career 3 See also 4 References

Biographical

• Born: 1st July 1944
• Height: 175 cm
• Weight: 70 kg
• Recruited from: Carlton
• Previous Club: East Perth
• GFC League Debut: 1977

Guernsey Number: 7

Career

An indigenous Australian, Syd Jackson had already won two Hayward Medals as the fairest and best player in the South West National Football League by the time he arrived at East Perth as a 19-year-old in 1963. Before long, he had acquired a reputations as one of the finest attacking centremen in the game, and, at the end of his debut season with the Royals, he finished joint first in the Sandover Medal voting. However, having incurred a suspension earlier in the season, he was ruled ineligible. Voted his club’s fairest and best player in 1966, Jackson was in the club’s losing Grand Final teams both that year and in 1967.

However, as early as 1965, Jackson had been attracting attention from VFL clubs, most notably North Melbourne and Carlton. In the end it was the persuasive talking of Carlton coach Ron Barassi which settled the issue, and Jackson duly signed for the Blues in time for the 1968 season. Given that Jackson had given them more than 100 games service (104 to be precise), the East Perth hierarchy was prepared to clear him, but his VFL debut was delayed by twelve months because the WANFL clearance board refused to endorse the move.

Jackson went on to give Carlton eight seasons of fine service between 1969 and 1976, mainly as a half forward flanker.

Thinking he had finished his football career he turned his attention to the next phase of his life in 1977. Jackson accepted a six-month indigenous affairs position in Adelaide and signed with the Tigers midway through that season. Bays coach John Nicholls - Jackson's former teammate at Princes Park - lured the goalsneak to the club for what indeed turned out to be his final year of senior football.

Glenelg's season - and Jackson's illustrious career - ended with an eight-point grand final loss to Port Adelaide.

Syd Jackson represented Western Australia once, against South Australia at Subiaco Oval in 1967 when he was one of the best players on view in the home state’s crushing win.

In June 2006 he was named in the centre in East Perth’s official ‘Team of the Century 1945 to 2005’.

See also

Syd Jackson tells of his football journey in this video (external link) made for his induction into the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2015

References

1. Pride of the Bay

2. WA Football Hall of Fame

3. Australian Football