Research Alex Gray (Melbourne/Northcote)---Really????

[Michael Riley]

Hi Allm

Anyone want to help me with this one. As it just doesn't look right.


Alex Gray (1) was a Northcote club great. He played in the seconds in 1926, then played from 1928-1938. He was captain in 1936 and 1938. He was later mayor of Northcote.

Alex Gray (2) was a Melbourne player (born 1891) who played 52 games for the club either side of WW1. He was later club secretary and his son Malcolm was president of the ICC from 2000 -2003.

Everything points to the fact that these two were the same person. But.... that means that in Alec Gray's final season in 1938 he was 47 at the time..which nobody seems to have commented on.
Also Alex Gray's final game with Melbourne was in 1921...and then nothing until 1926 when he appears in Northcote seconds.

The Following article indicates that the two people are the same.
MELBOURNE'S SEC. KNOWN BY HORSHAM OFFICIAL. (1949, June 10). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved December 21, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73116386

The Following article indicates that the Northcote Alex Gray first started playing in 1926
A. GRAY TO RETIRE. (1935, September 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 11. Retrieved December 21, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11766072


http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Alex Gray
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Gray_(footballer)
http://demonwiki.org/tiki-index.php?page=Alec Gray&redirectpage=Alex Gray

 

[35Daicos]

Pretty clearly the Alex(c) Gray that played for Melbourne could not have been the Northcote player. The story below has him as a rover at Northcote, yet the Melbourne player was a full back. He was said to be 180cm tall, not exactly rover material back in those days.

http://footybets.com/clubs/info/Northcote/177

(Referring to the 1934 season) the Brickfielders were best served by the roving duo of Alex Gray and Bob Ross ~

http://www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=113501

the first president of the Association Thirds was former Preston and Northcote star rover, Alex Gray, also a highly successful real estate agent and father of leading Australian cricket administrator, Malcolm Gray.

The Alex Gray who became Melbourne secretary has to have been the former Northcote player, not the one who played for Melbourne.

Also, the link to the Horsham Times article isn't working (it just needs the ] to be removed).

 

[Michael Riley]

I fixed the Horsham Times article. (see http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73116386 ). .... which seems pretty emphatic that the two people are the same....But I think that there must be some misunderstanding and that Wikipedia et al are incorrect....

I had not considered that the Melbourne Secretary might not have been the Melbourne player...but that makes sense. It is possibly that confusion that has merged the two.

I also have a height of 5'7" or (170cm) for Alex Gray (1) the Northcote rover. (Age 11-Oct-1929 p7)...again quite different than the 180cm Melbourne backman. Another comparison I did not make.

Alex Gray (1) was a Northcote club great. He played in the seconds in 1926, then played from 1928-1938. He was 170 cm tall and played mainly as a rover. He was captain in 1936 and 1938. He was later mayor of Northcote. He was later Melbourne club secretary and his son Malcolm was president of the ICC from 2000 -2003.

Alex Gray (2) was a Melbourne player (born 1891) who played 52 games for the club either side of WW1.He was approx 180cm tall and a backman



Thanks

 

[Michael Riley]

Alex Gray - The Ex Melbourne player (and Ex South Melbourne Cricketer) died in 1945

DEATH OF ALEX. GRAY
Old S.M.C.C. All-Rounder

The death occurred on Thursday at hie home in Malvcrn of Mr. Alex. L. Gray, a former South Melbourne cricketer. He was 54. An executive officer of the Education Department, Mr. Gray was a very popular personality. He leaves a widow. He was a splendid batsman and com menced with South in the, 1911-12 season. In 74 innings he made 1727 rutu at an average of 26.4, and took 33 wickets at an average of 21.2. Later he transferred to Prahran. For a time he played football with the old Leopold club and later was a good footballer with Melbourne, joining that club following its re-entry to the League after the 1914 10 War.

DEATH OF ALEX. GRAY. (1945, July 28). Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165033860

 

[35Daicos]

http://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/article/724

before I was born and I’m 75 (Interviewed on 16th September 1982).

This suggests the other Alex Gray was born in (about) 1907.

 

[35Daicos]

I had not considered that the Melbourne Secretary might not have been the Melbourne player...but that makes sense. It is possibly that confusion that has merged the two.

Almost certainly that is what caused the confusion, reasonably understandable I'd say. Good effort in spotting the anomaly with the age situation.

Edit:- http://news.google.com.au/newspaper...5910,6819684&dq=melbourne-football-club&hl=en

I just noticed this article linked by the Demonwiki site only mentions the newly appointed Melbourne secretary having played for Northcote.

Supermercado

Just in case you haven't already spotted this thread or been notified somehow.

 

[Supermercado]

Alex Gray - The Ex Melbourne player (and Ex South Melbourne Cricketer) died in 1945

DEATH OF ALEX. GRAY
Old S.M.C.C. All-Rounder

The death occurred on Thursday at hie home in Malvcrn of Mr. Alex. L. Gray, a former South Melbourne cricketer. He was 54. An executive officer of the Education Department, Mr. Gray was a very popular personality. He leaves a widow. He was a splendid batsman and com menced with South in the, 1911-12 season. In 74 innings he made 1727 rutu at an average of 26.4, and took 33 wickets at an average of 21.2. Later he transferred to Prahran. For a time he played football with the old Leopold club and later was a good footballer with Melbourne, joining that club following its re-entry to the League after the 1914 10 War.

DEATH OF ALEX. GRAY. (1945, July 28). Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165033860

Good thread all, and I've now separated the two on Demonwiki now but it's interesting that the article above doesn't acknowledge the 23 games 'he' (or somebody with the same name - I hope there's not a third one) played with Melbourne in 1914 and 1915. I'll put that down to them having something more important to deal with in the intervening years.

 

[35Daicos]

Good thread all, and I've now separated the two on Demonwiki now but it's interesting that the article above doesn't acknowledge the 23 games 'he' (or somebody with the same name - I hope there's not a third one) played with Melbourne in 1914 and 1915. I'll put that down to them having something more important to deal with in the intervening years.

I'm sure they must have just got that wrong. Especially as it was in the middle of the football season it looks a bit odd that his cricket career was summed up so well, even his time with Leopold gets a reasonable mention, yet his 52 game VFL career seems a bit of an afterthought!

 

[Michael Riley]

The...Yep...an oversight in the obituary....Gray from Leopold Club played for Melbourne prior to WW1

"Gray (Leopold) and Parsons are strong, useful players who made very satisfactory first appearances."
FOOTBALL. (1914, May 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 6. Retrieved December 24, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7231919