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Robert Osborne Shearman (14 September 1939 – 27 June 1999) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the West Torrens Football Club and Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Bob Shearman
Personal information
Full name	Robert Osborne Shearman
Date of birth	(1939-09-14)14 September 1939
Date of death	27 June 1999(1999-06-27) (aged 59)
Original team(s)	Aberfeldie
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	82 kg (181 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1956–1960	Essendon	064 00(8)
1961–1964	West Torrens	070 0(90)
1966–1972	Sturt	121 (92)
Total		255 (190)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
????–????	South Australia	13 (?)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1972.
Career highlights
5× SANFL Premiership player: (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970) West Torrens captain (1963–1964) Sturt captain: (1969–1972) Simpson Medal: (1964) All-Australian team: (1961) South Australia captain (1962, 1963, 1964) South Australian Football Hall of Fame, inducted 2002 Sturt Team of the Century (half-back flank) Sturt Hall of Fame, inducted 2004
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Born in Melbourne, Shearman was recruited from Aberfeldie in the Essendon District League, and made his debut at 16 years of age. He became renowned as a strong half-back flanker who could take high marks, kick prodigious drop kicks, and was good at ground level. He played in the 1957 and 1959 Grand Final losses to Melbourne.[1]

In 1961 at the age of 21, Shearman moved to South Australia and joined West Torrens. He represented South Australia at the 1961 carnival, winning All Australian selection and captained West Torrens in 1963 and 1964. In 1965 he stood out of football for the season awaiting a clearance to Sturt.[2] Joining Sturt in 1966, he was a key part of that club's "Golden Era", playing in consecutive premierships from 1966 to 1970. Shearman was subsequently named a member of Sturt's "Team of the century".[3]

Shearman was a prodigious kicker of the ball and twice won the Craven Filter national champion kick of Australia.[4]

Shearman died suddenly on 27 June 1999, survived by long-time wife Francine, children Scott and Danielle, and grandchildren Kate, Samantha, Guy and Sydney.[5]

Since 2000, Sturt and Woodville West Torrens have competed for the RO Shearman Testimonial Trophy.[6]

References

Bibliography

• Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2011). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: Every AFL/VFL Player Since 1897 (9th ed.). Seaford: Bas Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921496-12-7.
• Lysikatos, John (1995). Cornwall, Peter (ed.). TRUE BLUE: The History of the Sturt Football Club. Unley: Sturt Football Club. ISBN 0-9592687-1-5.

External links

• Bob Shearman's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Bob Shearman at AustralianFootball.com

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