Oswald Milne Bertram (17 April 1909 – 5 May 1983) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne and St Kilda in the VFL during the 1930s.
| Ossie Bertram | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Oswald Milne Bertram | ||
| Date of birth | 17 April 1909 | ||
| Place of birth | Upper Sturt, South Australia | ||
| Date of death | 5 May 1983(1983-05-05) (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Mentone, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | West Torrens (SANFL) | ||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1933–1934 | South Melbourne | 23 (43) | |
| 1935–1936 | St Kilda | 15 (17) | |
| Total | 38 (60) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1936. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
The son of Frank Ernest Bertram, and Agnes Bertram, née Milne, he was born at Upper Sturt on 17 April 1909.[1] He married Grace Mary Orme in 1940.
Bertram was a rover and was recruited from South Australian National Football League club West Torrens, where he was a leading player who twice represented South Australia at interstate level.[2] He joined South Melbourne for the 1933 season and helped them to win the premiership, kicking 28 goals for the year.[3]
Bertram, who had been unemployed for three years,[4] was one of a number of interstate footballers who joined South Melbourne in the early 1930s, including Jack Wade and Wilbur Harris, also South Australians, with the promise of immediate, long-term, secure, paid employment outside of football within the (137 store) grocery empire of the South Melbourne president, South Melbourne Lord Mayor, and Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Archie Crofts.[5] The collection of players recruited from interstate became known as South Melbourne's "Foreign Legion".[6]
After playing in a losing Grand Final the following season he moved to St Kilda in 1935, spending two seasons there.
He enlisted in the Second AIF on 15 July 1940, eventually retiring from the armed services, with the rank of Major in the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, on 18 April 1959.[7][8][9]
South Melbourne Football Club 1933 VFL premiers | |
|---|---|
Coach: Bisset |
South Australian team – 1932 Interstate Games | |
|---|---|
Game 1: Victoria 12.20 (92) d South Australia 12.12 (84), at MCG, 10 June 1932 Game 2: South Australia 11.13 (79) d Victoria 9.10 (64) at Adelaide Oval, 6 August 1932 | |
| Both Games |
|
| Game 1 only |
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| Game 2 only |
|