Relatively minor thing but "Alf" McDougall was a player for Fitzroy from 1898-1902 - I think Alf is incorrect
Was looking him up on Ancestry and Trove and found that DOB/DOD for this player are for Albert Henry McDougall
Contemporary reports never seem to use Alf - they refer to him as "Ab" McDougall (see search results) or in this review article from 1934 "Abe" McDougall. He gets at least as many mentions in the press for his cricket and his football.
Few other bits of info about "Ab" McDougall
1. He played for St Mary's from 1895-1897 and had a few games with North Melbourne in the VFA in 1896 before becoming a premiership player with Fitzroy.
2. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand
3. He was the father of Roy McDougall (Fitzroy - 1930-32) - see http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4100777
4. He served in WWI as a mechanic for the 1st Australian Flying Corps - war service not previously known so will add him to the players who served in war thread
Yes "Abe" seems most likely - it is used here in the birth notice for his son Roy who as you note later played with Fitzroy.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198609480