21 Facts About Albert Thurgood

Albert John Thurgood was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football Association, Victorian Football League and the Western Australian Football Association.

Albert Thurgood is considered one of the great champion players of the VFA and VFL and possibly the longest place kick of any code in history.

Albert Thurgood has been described as the "first icon of Australian rules football".

Albert Thurgood married Ida Alma Mary Thomas at Fairfield on 26 April 1899.

Albert Thurgood died on 8 May 1927 as the result of a car accident.

Albert Thurgood was buried with Anglican rites in Brighton Cemetery.

Albert Thurgood is the cousin of former Essendon footballer Jimmy Thurgood, and the great-great uncle of former Hawthorn player Josh Thurgood.

Albert Thurgood was ideally suited to Australian Rules football due to his stature; six-foot tall, weighing 12 stone and extremely agile.

Albert Thurgood was the first player to kick more than 50 goals in a single season and then surpassed his own record by kicking more than 60 goals in each of the two consecutive seasons.

Albert Thurgood played 151 games in his career: 57 VFA games, 46 VFL games, and 48 games with Fremantle in Western Australia.

Albert Thurgood was named Champion of the Colony for two consecutive years and again in 1901.

At six feet tall and twelve stone, Albert Thurgood possessed qualities that made him a versatile key position player: he was extraordinarily fast, a superb mark, and very nimble and agile.

Albert Thurgood played 57 VFA games for Essendon and kicked 183 goals.

Albert Thurgood returned to Victoria in 1898 and sought to resume his career with Essendon in the newly formed Victorian Football League, but the VFL denied him a permit for residential reasons.

In 1902, Albert Thurgood received a three match suspension for striking St Kilda players Mick English and Alf Trevillian.

In 1902, there were widespread allegations that he had 'laid down' against Collingwood in the Grand Final, which Essendon lost by 33 points, a heavy margin for the time: in disgust, Albert Thurgood demanded, and was refused, a clearance to the Magpies, whereupon he decided to retire.

Albert Thurgood was tempted back to Essendon four years later, but after playing eight games was forced to retire permanently when he sustained a serious ankle injury.

Albert Thurgood was a solid cricketer, playing three first XI matches for the North Melbourne Cricket Club during the 1890s; he was an avid golfer.

Albert Thurgood ran a number of successful horses, including Amazonia, which won the Bagot Handicap in 1921 and was placed third in the Melbourne Cup that year.

In 1996, Albert Thurgood was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Albert Thurgood enjoyed modest success with racehorses; a horse named Choi took out the Cantala Stakes in 1919, while another, Amazonia, was placed 3rd in the 1921 Melbourne Cup.