Research Missing DOD or DOB for League players (AFL)

[killer]

"Recruited from South Australia mainly to play cricket, but was diverted to Perth..."
- Redlegs to Demons

 

[GreyCrow]

Footscrays Peter Castrikum born Feb 19 1943

I went looking and found a too coincidental death in Lismore NSW

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...d/news-story/ff9013157ce0bbe47afc4a39cb0ca9be

His grave plaque says Feb 25 - which is 6 days later

Can anyone confirm this is the same person - there was nothing in the notice to suggest he played Football - I just think the coincidental name similarity is one to investigate further



ThePope Oliver G

Hmm probably is a coincidental name

It was a shock to Mr Castrikum - once an avid rugby and tennis player.

 

[GreyCrow]

Raymond George Broadway - Full name - BROADWAY. _ Raymond George 26.1.1938 - 17.1.2015 Aged 76 years

BROADWAY. _ Ray. The President, Committee and Members of the Footscray/ Western Bulldogs Past Players and Officials Association sincerely regret the loss of our respected member. We extend our sincerest sympathy to Joy and family.

Both Herald Sun

Oliver G

ThePope

 

[ThePope]

Footscrays Peter Castrikum born Feb 19 1943

I went looking and found a too coincidental death in Lismore NSW

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...d/news-story/ff9013157ce0bbe47afc4a39cb0ca9be

His grave plaque says Feb 25 - which is 6 days later

Hmm probably is a coincidental name

It was a shock to Mr Castrikum - once an avid rugby and tennis player.

I'm thinking it's the same guy.
I've reached out to Gigs on bluesky if he's got any more info, being a Dogs fan/historian.
Date - born in a POW camp it could be date born vs date registered?
Rugby - it was a Lismore story - he may have said "footy" and the NSW bias in the reporter changed it to the wrong code.
The kicker for me is his Facebook page says "from Melton, Victoria", which is his original team in the Wikipedia infobox.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

The kicker for me is his Facebook page says "from Melton, Victoria", which is his original team in the Wikipedia infobox.

If it is him who's died, his most recent post might be the cause of his death.

 

[Oliver G]

I'm thinking it's the same guy.
I've reached out to Gigs on bluesky if he's got any more info, being a Dogs fan/historian.
Date - born in a POW camp it could be date born vs date registered?
Rugby - it was a Lismore story - he may have said "footy" and the NSW bias in the reporter changed it to the wrong code.
The kicker for me is his Facebook page says "from Melton, Victoria", which is his original team in the Wikipedia infobox.

I agree, the Facebook Peter Castrikum is clearly the same person who is in the article. The NAA have him as being born on 25th February 1943 with the family migrating to Australia from the Netherlands in 1954 arriving in Melbourne. I haven't been able to find any reference to Melton other than the Facebook page, but the parents ended up in Queensland in later life.

 

[GreyCrow]

I'm thinking it's the same guy.
I've reached out to Gigs on bluesky if he's got any more info, being a Dogs fan/historian.
Date - born in a POW camp it could be date born vs date registered?
Rugby - it was a Lismore story - he may have said "footy" and the NSW bias in the reporter changed it to the wrong code.
The kicker for me is his Facebook page says "from Melton, Victoria", which is his original team in the Wikipedia infobox.

Yeah I was 99% convinced but needed other eyes to look and maybe someone with that last bit of info

 

[GreyCrow]

I agree, the Facebook Peter Castrikum is clearly the same person who is in the article. The NAA have him as being born on 25th February 1943 with the family migrating to Australia from the Netherlands in 1954 arriving in Melbourne. I haven't been able to find any reference to Melton other than the Facebook page, but the parents ended up in Queensland in later life.

View attachment 2211157

Interesting that Gerhardus dies in SA

CASTRIKUM

Gerhardus Johannes

16-Feb-1988

71

M

801A/1652

 

[Oliver G]

Interesting that Gerhardus dies in SA

CASTRIKUM

Gerhardus Johannes

16-Feb-1988

71

M

801A/1652

Yeah sorry, only the mother ended up in QLD, but I seem to have found the family home which was in Bacchus Marsh, which lines up with Peter playing for Melton. The question now what is the original source for the 19/02/1943 birth date.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237152129/25536140

 

[35Daicos]

I agree, the Facebook Peter Castrikum is clearly the same person who is in the article. The NAA have him as being born on 25th February 1943 with the family migrating to Australia from the Netherlands in 1954 arriving in Melbourne. I haven't been able to find any reference to Melton other than the Facebook page, but the parents ended up in Queensland in later life.

View attachment 2211157

This will be his sister: https://www.facebook.com/wilhelmina.castrikum?locale=en_GB

Brother Theo died in Queensland a few years back:

Indeed, sorting out the DOB issue for Peter may not be easy!

 

[ThePope]

Indeed, sorting out the DOB issue for Peter may not be easy!

Sorting our the source of the V/AFL DOB will be hard, but we have a NAA immigration form and the headstone that both indicate that he used the 25th as his DOB. In my view that is enough to convince the AFL that it is the date he used - both an official form and a private record.

It might be that he was actually born on the 19th, and early in life his parents celebrated that, but as he got older, it was just easier to delay it a few days to not cause confusion with the official date on his licence/passport etc (which all relied on the immigration form).
If you told me that I was actually born 6 days earlier than what is on my licence, I doubt I'd bother to change it now.

Or it could just be another ancient VFL transcribing error.

 

[Colleena]

Hi - been research Alfred Carl Frank Briggs for 17;years along with his whole clan - just so you know he marries at least another once possible two - his last known article is do with an accident 1951 which Ivy is in and Milton Kenneth is injured ( Milton is looking like being an adopted son - great article about him coming back after the war to play for Miners Rovers and winning so many premierships and trophies - we will find him cheers

Hi Tony Munday, My name is Colleena and Alf Neeson was my biological father. I was born to Alf and Dorry in 1949. I have the whole story of Alf and Ivy and much about his football and army career. I have a hope of confirming his DOD which I am working on now. Milton (who passed away on the 10 Jan this year was Alf and Ivy's adopted son. I am the Alf's only biological child
if you which to contact me email maxco2@bigpond.com. I'd love to hear from you and fill in a bit of information.

 

[GreyCrow]

Hi Tony Munday, My name is Colleena and Alf Neeson was my biological father. I was born to Alf and Dorry in 1949. I have the whole story of Alf and Ivy and much about his football and army career. I have a hope of confirming his DOD which I am working on now. Milton (who passed away on the 10 Jan this year was Alf and Ivy's adopted son. I am the Alf's only biological child
if you which to contact me email maxco2@bigpond.com. I'd love to hear from you and fill in a bit of information.

rbartlett Oliver G ThePope

 

[WhiteHartLane23]

Hi Tony Munday, My name is Colleena and Alf Neeson was my biological father. I was born to Alf and Dorry in 1949. I have the whole story of Alf and Ivy and much about his football and army career. I have a hope of confirming his DOD which I am working on now. Milton (who passed away on the 10 Jan this year was Alf and Ivy's adopted son. I am the Alf's only biological child
if you which to contact me email maxco2@bigpond.com. I'd love to hear from you and fill in a bit of information.

FYI: I've let Steve Rodgers at AFL know

 

[GreyCrow]

I've mustered up this list based on my "possibly living, born pre-1930" list from 16 November 2024

Oldest believed living V/AFL footballers (born pre-1930) as at 13 January 2025

Player name	Full name	Age	D.O.B.	Career	Notes
Jim Miller	James Henry Miller	105y, 7m, 14d	30 May 1919	Foot 1938–48	⬥ Alive in Jun 2023
Des Bell	Desmond Clyde Bell	101y, 7m, 21d	23 May 1923	Melb 1946–48	⬥ Alive in Aug 2022
Jack Taylor	[?]	100y, 8m, 4d	9 May 1924	Haw 1945	⬥ Originally from Melbourne High School ⬥ Lived in Ashburton, played for Glen Ormond
Gordon Green	Gordon Stanley Green	99y, 7m, 13d	31 May 1925	NM 1942	⬥ Alive in Jul 2018
Max Glass	Maxwell Herbert Glass	99y, 3m, 11d	2 Oct 1925	SM 1945	⬥ Last confirmed existence in Jan 1999 (possibly near Coffs Harbour) ⬥ Living in Rye, 1980 (electoral roll), has a son also named Maxwell (John)
Angus Abbey	Angus Maxwell Abbey	99y, 1m, 29d	15 Nov 1925	Foot 1949–54
Cliff Riley	Clifford David Riley	97y, 11m, 11d	2 Feb 1927	StK 1951–52
Fred Payne	Frederick Ronald Payne	97y, 11m, 9d	4 Feb 1927	Ess 1949–53	⬥ Alive in Feb 2024
Jack MacDonald	Jack R. MacDonald	97y, 7m, 28d	16 May 1927	Haw 1951–53	⬥ Originally from Carey Grammar / Camberwell ⬥ Also played for Creswick and Glen Iris ⬥ Coached at Powelltown
Bill Redmond	William George Arthur Redmond	97y, 7m, 15d	29 May 1927	Carl 1947–48
Greg Lourey	[?]	97y, 5m, 12d	1 Aug 1927	Melb 1948; 1950 Fitz 1951–52
Arthur Fitt	Arthur Aloysius Fitt Jr.	96y, 11m, 1d	12 Feb 1928	Fitz 1950
Jack Atkinson	[?]	96y, 6m, 21d	23 Jun 1928	Rich 1950
Tom Miller	[?]	96y, 6m, 10d	3 Jul 1928	Foot 1947–50
Frank Pattison	Francis Xavier Pattison	96y, 3m, 15d	29 Sep 1928	StK 1951
Kevin Webb	[?]	96y, 3m, 11d	2 Oct 1928	Rich 1949 Melb 1951
Ron Warren	[?]	96y, 3m, 8d	5 Oct 1928	Geel 1949
Norm Edwards	[?]	96y, 2m, 21d	23 Oct 1928	Foot 1950–51
Andy Larkins	[?]	96y, 2m, 14d	30 Oct 1928	Geel 1950
Brian Williamson	[?]	96y, 1m, 4d	9 Dec 1928	NM 1947
Jack Thomson	[?]	95y, 11m, 22d	22 Jan 1929	Melb 1949–53
Lindsay Baglin	Lindsay Gordon Baglin	95y, 10m, 11d	2 Mar 1929	Foot 1947 NM 1949
Eddie Goodger	Edmund James Goodger	95y, 10m, 3d	10 Mar 1929	Fitz 1949–58
Nick Gelavis	Nikolas Gelavis	95y, 6m, 29d	15 Jun 1929	SM 1953–54 Foot 1954
Jack Storey	John Ivan Storey	95y, 6m, 12d	1 Jul 1929	Foot 1948–49
Barry Griffiths	Barry McIntosh Griffiths	95y, 6m, 1d	12 Jul 1929	Haw 1950–52	⬥ Originally from Canterbury ⬥ Lived in Ashburton, played for East. Suburban Churches ⬥ Possibly thought to be Barry Joseph Griffiths (unlikely) ⬥ Listed in 1953 article as 22 y.o., conflicts with 1929 DOB ⬥ Transferred from Oakleigh to Albury in 1954 ⬥ Played with Acton in Canberra in 1959 ⬥ Strong match for Barry McIntosh re: locations etc.
Don Scott	Donald Rex Scott	95y, 2m, 8d	5 Nov 1929	SM 1950–54
Doug Guy	Douglas George Guy	95y, 1m, 23d	21 Nov 1929	Carl 1950–53

Ron Warren wiki page has an odd reference from a MartyMoose15 to insert into the player box that Ron passed away September 20 2024 - but there is no addition to the main window

I cant ( yet ) see a notice from that date

I now see this from the GFC

Vale Ron Warren

Geelong is mourning the passing of past player Ron Warren

www.geelongcats.com.au

Oliver G ThePope

 

[GreyCrow]

Thomas Henry Smith one of the driving forces behind the Melbourne Football Club was on the above wikidata post as being born in 1830 in Ireland

The wiki entry states he had a falling out with the MFC and also his place of employment and moved to South Australia

We see a death in 1885 of a 55 yr old Thomas Henry Smith - no relative

There is no corresponding notice in publications of the time nor are there cemetery records either

Any death certificate will only have the following. Birth location doesnt come in until 1907 and parents names are not recorded

Surname:SMITH
First Names:Thomas Henry
Death Date:18-Mar-1885
Age:55
Gender:M
Marital Status:N
Place of Death:Adelaide
Residence:Adelaide
District:Adelaide
Book/Page:145/82
Notes:Symbol=H.

I think we can confirm this

Hospital admission at the time of his death 18 March 1885 says born Ireland arrived on Herald - which was a ship into Melbourne as an Unassisted passenger

SMITH

THOS

27

1858

FEB

HERALD

His occupation was listed as Tutor and given his previous occupation as headmaster and teacher I think we can call this

Name	Thomas Henry Smith
Marital Status	Single
Age	55
Record Type	Admission
Birth Year	abt 1830
Birth Place	Ireland
Death Date	18 Mar. 1885
Occupation	Tutor
Admission Date	16 Mar. 1885
Admission Place	Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Ship	Herald

Supermercado

Sources: SAGenealogy https://www.genealogysa.org.au/resources/online-database-search

Ancestry - SA Hospital Records

Source Citation​

State Records of South Australia; Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Admission Registers-Adelaide Hospital 1841-1946; Reference: GRG78/49

Source Information​

Ancestry.com. South Australia, Australia, Adelaide Hospital Admission Registers, 1841-1952 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021.
Original data: Adelaide Hospital Admission Registers, 1841-1952. Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. State Records of South Australia.

Any follow up on this?

Oliver G
ThePope
rbartlett

 

[rbartlett]

My oldest living (actually "no death date" than confirmed living) player lists from Wikidata, for those that prefer to work by team than league wide:

• Richmond

Waiting on official confirmation with a death notice, but was told today the Kevin Webb (RFC 1949), has passed away in the last few days.

 

[rbartlett]

Hey there
AFL is only missing one date of birth for League coaches

"Alfred Edward Melling, who was Fitzroy coach for part 1919.

He wasn't a VFL player (or we probably would have got him, years ago, when we were doing them in bulk), but we believe he was a pre-VFL player.
We believe we have his date-of-death,
at May 31st, 1932 aged 65.

He is in the Vic Births, in accordance with the screenshot below, with
born 1866 at Collingwood (No. 7619)

Does an exact dob pop up on ancestry at all ?

 

[35Daicos]

Hey there
AFL is only missing one date of birth for League coaches

"Alfred Edward Melling, who was Fitzroy coach for part 1919.

He wasn't a VFL player (or we probably would have got him, years ago, when we were doing them in bulk), but we believe he was a pre-VFL player.
We believe we have his date-of-death,
at May 31st, 1932 aged 65.

He is in the Vic Births, in accordance with the screenshot below, with
born 1866 at Collingwood (No. 7619)

Does an exact dob pop up on ancestry at all ?

View attachment 2320166

It doesn't look like it. It's almost always just shown as 1866. That is definitely the correct DOD:


Pennant/district cricket records don't have the DOB either, and get the DOD wrong:

 

[rbartlett]

Des Bell still going strong at 102, as Melbourne's oldest former player, as per his visit to the club yesterday

 

[35Daicos]

Des Bell still going strong at 102, as Melbourne's oldest former player, as per his visit to the club yesterday

I hope I look that good at 102!!

 

[Gibbsy]

Des Bell still going strong at 102, as Melbourne's oldest former player, as per his visit to the club yesterday

He looks about 85!

 

[Oliver G]

Jim Miller (Footscray 1938-48) turns 106 today. The last update we had (a few months ago) was that Jim was still going strong.

The Dogs usually celebrate his birthday by having a couple of players present him with a guernsey with his birthday number on it, so I expect we'll get an update today.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Jim Miller (Footscray 1938-48) turns 106 today. The last update we had (a few months ago) was that Jim was still going strong.

The Dogs usually celebrate his birthday by having a couple of players present him with a guernsey with his birthday number on it, so I expect we'll get an update today.

The Jeanne Calment of the VFL/AFL.

Phenomenal stuff.

Last VFL/AFL living who debuted in the 1930's I believe.

 

[Oliver G]

Last VFL/AFL living who debuted in the 1930's I believe.

Correct, still boggles my mind that he debuted over a year before the start of WWII.