16 Facts About Vic Cumberland

In early 1902, Cumberland was cleared to play in Western Australia, but there is no record of him playing senior football there.

Vic Cumberland instead played for Collegians in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association, including in the club's 1902 grand final victory against Brighton.

In 1903 Vic Cumberland resumed his senior career at VFL club St Kilda and was a leading player over the next two seasons.

Vic Cumberland's presence was one of the factors that enabled St Kilda to rise from bottom of the ladder in a winless 1902 season to narrowly missing the finals in fifth position in 1903.

In 1905 and 1906 Vic Cumberland spent time in New Zealand and played for the Auckland Imperial Football Club in the Australian Football League of Auckland.

Vic Cumberland was part of the first St Kilda FC team to qualify for the Finals in club history in 1907, playing gin the Semi-Final, backed up with a second consecutive Finals series in 1908, where he again played in the Semi-Final.

Vic Cumberland moved to South Australia in 1909 and played with SANFL club Sturt for three years, winning the league's Magarey Medal award as the fairest and most brilliant in 1911, his final year with the club.

Vic Cumberland was a member that same year of his adopted state's victorious carnival team.

In 1912 Vic Cumberland returned for a third stint at St Kilda and was a key member of their 1913 VFL Grand Final team, the first St Kilda FC team to qualify for a Grand Final.

Vic Cumberland played his last season with St Kilda after returning from war.

Vic Cumberland was 43 years of age when he finally retired from top-level football, the oldest player ever to have appeared in the VFL.

Vic Cumberland was a strong mark and an excellent long kick, especially renowned for his place-kicks, with the skill to grab the ball from the ruck and handpass to a teammate.

Vic Cumberland enlisted to serve in World War I in January 1916 and embarked for France in April.

Vic Cumberland was part of the 29th Battalion and was wounded three times during fighting in France.

In 1927, Cumberland was involved in an accident when he was riding his motorbike in Ferntree Gully, Victoria, and hit a cow.

Vic Cumberland died in hospital several months later, on 15 July 1927.