John Birt (born 29 January 1937) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the VFL and West Torrens in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
John Birt | |||
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Personal information | |||
Date of birth | (1937-01-29) 29 January 1937 (age 85) | ||
Original team(s) | Ballarat, Victoria | ||
Height | 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Weight | 69 kg (152 lb) | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1957–1967 | Essendon | 193 (303) | |
Coaching career | |||
Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
1971 | Essendon | 22 (4–17–1) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1967. | |||
Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Birt was a rover and, after being recruited to Essendon from Ballarat, he made his VFL debut in 1957. The following year he had one of his finest seasons, finishing 6th in the Brownlow Medal and topping Essendon's goalkicking list with 31 goals. He was a premiership player in 1962 and 1965, as well as playing in two losing Grand Finals, and won the W. S. Crichton Medal for his club's Best and Fairest in 1961, 1965 and 1967.
Birt was playing coach for West Torrens in the SANFL from 1968 to 1970.
He returned to Victoria to coach Essendon in 1971.[1]
However, Essendon only won four games in the 1971 season. In 1972, he was replaced by Des Tuddenham.
Footscray then picked him up and he served as their assistant coach between 1972 and 1976.
In 2002, an Essendon panel selected Birt as number twenty-one of the 25 Champions of Essendon.
Essendon Football Club 1962 VFL premiers | |
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Coach: Coleman |
Essendon Football Club 1965 VFL premiers | |
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Coach: Coleman |
Captains of the West Torrens Football Club | |
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Coaches of the Essendon Football Club | |
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VFL/AFL |
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AFL Women's |
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*Essendon did not participate in the VFL from 1916–1917 due to World War I Italics denote caretaker coach |
Coaches of the West Torrens Football Club | |
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Crichton Medal · Essendon Football Club best and fairest winners | |
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Essendon Football Club · leading goalkickers | |
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Victorian (VFL) squad – 1966 Interstate Carnival | |
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Victoria (VFL) 26.24 (180) defeated Tasmania 11.13 (79), at North Hobart Oval, 9 June 1966, crowd: 20,047 Victoria (VFL) 16.23 (119) defeated South Australia 7.9 (51), at North Hobart Oval, 11 June 1966, crowd: 23,764 Victoria (VFL) 14.17 (101) defeated Victoria (VFA) 9.7 (61), at North Hobart Oval, 13 June 1966, crowd: 13,969 Victoria (VFL) 15.10 (100) defeated Western Australia 13.7 (85), at North Hobart Oval, 18 June 1966, crowd: 23,368 | |
Coach: Killigrew |
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