Laurie Nash: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2012}}

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/587/587.html CricketArchive

}}

'''Laurence John Nash''' (2 May 1910 – 24 July 1986) was a [[Test cricket]]er and [[Australian rules football]]er. An inductee into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]], Nash was a member of [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]]'s [[1933 VFL Grand Final|1933 premiership team]], captained South Melbourne in 1937 and was the team's leading goal kicker in 1937 and 1945. In cricket, Nash was a fast bowler and hard hitting lower order batsman who played two Test matches for [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]], taking 10 wickets at 12.80 runs per wicket, and scoring 30 runs at a batting average of 15.

 

Four months later, he made his senior football debut for the [[Roy Cazaly]] coached [[South Launceston Football Club|City]] side in the [[Northern Tasmanian Football Association (1886–1986)|Northern Tasmanian Football Association]] (NTFA),<ref name="Fame p. 80">''Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame'', p. 80.</ref> immediately standing out on account of his skills, blond hair and confidence in his abilities. Nash made the Tasmanian side for the [[1930 Adelaide Carnival|national carnival]] in [[Adelaide]] where he won the medal for the most outstanding Tasmanian player of the carnival.<ref name=w359>Wallish, p. 359.</ref> Nash played in defence for City while Robert Junior played in the forward line and both were considered sensational.<ref>Piesse (1993), p. 33.</ref>

 

 

 

In September 1932 Nash married Irene Roles in Launceston, with City and Tasmania teammate [[Ted Pickett]] acting as best man.<ref>Wallish, p. 68.</ref> Due to the strict sectarianism of the 1930s, there was some controversy as Irene was a [[Protestant]] from one of Launceston's establishment families, and the wedding was held in a Protestant church. For years afterwards, Nash was subjected to a campaign by Catholic clergy to hold a Catholic wedding ceremony to legitimise his marriage but refused.<ref>Wallish, p. 322.</ref>

==Test debut==

[[File:Laurie Nash signature.jpg|thumb|250px|Nash's signature, from the time of his Test debut.]]

 

Following the Hobart match Nash was included in the [[Australia national cricket team|Australian side]] to make his Test debut, aged 21 years and 286 days, against South Africa at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] beginning 12 February 1932. Nash was the first Tasmanian based player chosen to play for Australia since [[Charles Eady]] in 1902 and would be the last until [[Roger Woolley]] debuted in 1983.<ref>Smith, p. 187.</ref> Also making his Test debut for Australia was batsman [[Jack Fingleton]] while spin bowler [[Bert Ironmonger]] was recalled to the side.<ref>"Changes in the Australian Team", ''The Times'', 4 February 1932, p. 4.</ref>

| guernsey = 14

| statsend = 1945

| club1 = [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]]

| games_goals1 = 99 (246)

* [[List of VFL/AFL premiers|VFL Premiership player]]: [[1933 VFL Grand Final|1933]]

* [[List of Sydney Swans captains|South Melbourne captain]]: 1937

}}

 

===1933===

 

Nash moved to [[Melbourne]] in late 1932 and began playing cricket for [[Casey-South Melbourne Cricket Club|South Melbourne Cricket Club]]<ref>"Tasmanian Bowler Joins South Melbourne", ''The Canberra Times'', 6 October 1932, p. 1.</ref> while waiting for his transfer to South Melbourne Football Club to be processed.<ref>Fiddian (2004), p. 8.</ref>

In August 1934, Nash was chosen to play for [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] in an interstate match against [[South Australia]] at the MCG, replacing the injured Pratt.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205534364 Victoria's Team of Champions, ''The Age'', (Monday, 13 August 1934), p.6.]</ref><ref name=Warne>[[Ivor Warne-Smith|Warne-Smith, I.]], [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10987861 "Crushing Defeat", ''The Argus'', 13 August 1934, p. 11.]</ref><ref name=Forward>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205534364 "Nash's Feat: Five Goals Off Australian Inter-State Record", ''The Age'', 13 August 1934, p.6.]</ref> Initially selected at centre half-forward, Nash had kicked 2 goals by the start of the second quarter when he was moved to full-forward to replace the injured [[Bill Mohr]] and proceeded to kick a further 16 goals to finish with 18 goals, a record for a Victorian player in an interstate match<ref name=feat>The overall record is 23 goals by [[East Perth Football Club|East Perth]] footballer, [[Bonny Campbell|Hugh "Bonny" Campbell]] for Western Australia, against Queensland, on 12 August 1924 ([http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67001942 Football Carnival: Another Record Score: W. Australia 43.19; Queensland 2.1: Campbell Gets 23 Goals, ''The (Burnie) Advocate'', (Wednesday, 13 August 1924), p.3]).</ref> and for the MCG as Victoria defeated South Australia 30.19 (199) to 14.10 (94).<ref name="AFLEncyc"/><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2366786 "Melbourne Match – L. Nash 18 goals", ''The Canberra Times'', 13 August 1934, p.3.]</ref> Brownlow Medallist [[Ivor Warne-Smith]] wrote of Nash's performance; "his was a great achievement. He showed superb marking, good ground play, and accurate kicking. Some of his shots from left-foot snaps were gems… His performance has never been equalled."<ref name=Warne/> He later claimed he would have kicked 27 goals that day but for the selfishness of the rovers who refused to kick to him.<ref>Piesse (1993), p. 197.</ref>

 

 

South Melbourne finished the home and away series in third position, defeated Collingwood by three points in the first Semi-Final and Geelong by 60 points in the Preliminary Final, with Nash in brilliant form in the drizzling rain, kicking four goals.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2374280 "South Melbourne Succeeds Again", ''The Canberra Times'', 8 October 1934, p.4.]</ref>

 

===1937===

Nash was best on the ground.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11075073 Best and Fairest, ''The Argus'', (Monday, 28 June 1937), p.4.]</ref>]]

 

Following the Test, Nash was selected for Victoria for their match against [[Southern Redbacks|South Australia]] at the [[Adelaide Oval]] in what would have been his first Sheffield Shield match.<ref>"Cricket: Sheffield Shield", ''The Times'', 13 March 1937, p. 6.</ref> However, Nash was forced to withdraw and fly to Tasmania following his wife Irene's sudden collapse in [[Hobart]] with [[peritonitis]].<ref>Wallish, p. 155.</ref>

 

 

Nash's first-class career ended at the age of 26. His career Test figures 10 wickets at 12.60 places him fourth on the list of averages for bowlers to have taken 10 or more Test wickets (and the best by an Australian). His 22 first-class matches reaped 69 wickets at 28.33 and 953 runs at 28.02. His district cricket career of 63 matches netted 174 wickets at 14.95.<ref name="districtstats">{{cite web|url=http://premier.cricketvictoria.com.au/files/3/files/player-register-career-stats/VCA%201st%20XI%20CAREER%20RECORDS%201889-90%20to%202014-15%20N-R.pdf|title=VCA 1st XI Career records 1889–90 to 2014–15, N-R|access-date=28 November 2015|publisher=Cricket Victoria|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208100929/http://premier.cricketvictoria.com.au/files/3/files/player-register-career-stats/VCA%201st%20XI%20CAREER%20RECORDS%201889-90%20to%202014-15%20N-R.pdf|archive-date=8 December 2015}}</ref>

Nash did not rush to enlist in the Australian armed forces on the outbreak of war in 1939. While there was no public statement from Nash, it is thought that with a family to support and an Irish Catholic anti-pathy to the British, Nash did not feel an urgency to fight.<ref>Wallish, p. 232.</ref> However, following the commencement of the war against Japan, Nash enlisted on 2 February 1942.<ref name=Roll/>

 

 

Nash was posted to the [[2/2nd Pioneer Battalion (Australia)|2/2nd Pioneer Battalion]], which had seen action in the [[Syria-Lebanon Campaign|Syria-Lebanon]] and the [[Netherlands East Indies campaign]]s.<ref name=AWM>{{cite web| url=http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11401.asp |title=2/2nd Pioneer Battalion |publisher=[[Australian War Memorial]] |access-date=31 December 2008}}</ref> The 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion was sent to the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|South West Pacific theatre]], supporting the [[7th Division (Australia)|7th Division]] in the [[New Guinea campaign]]<ref name=Coverdale>{{cite web| url=http://content-www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/296109.html |title=Australia's Winter Allrounders: XI Test Cricketers who played Australian Rules football at the highest level |work=[[Cricinfo]] |access-date=6 May 2008}}</ref> and fought in the [[Finisterre Range campaign]] in the advance to [[Lae]].<ref name=AWM/>

Although out of shape and with arthritic knees, Nash announced that he was making a football comeback in [[1945 VFL season|1945]].<ref>Shaw, p. 127.</ref> He sought to return to South Melbourne, rather than Camberwell,<ref name=Argus45>"Two Clubs Still Claim Nash", ''The Argus'', 6 April 1945, p. 11.</ref> but Camberwell declined Nash's transfer application<ref>"Camberwell and Nash", ''The Argus'', 23 March 1945.</ref> and both clubs stated that they would be naming Nash in their respective sides for Round 1.<ref name=Argus45/> An impediment to Nash's return to South Melbourne arose as a result of Nash having played two games for his old boy scout troop, the 6th Melbourne Scouts, while on leave in mid-1942; these games were considered competitive, and playing in them meant that Nash had not sat out of football for the three years required to serve the suspension he had received for crossing to Camberwell without a clearance.<ref>"Transfer Application By Nash", ''The Argus'', 12 April 1945, p. 13.</ref> After an appeal by South Melbourne, a special meeting of the VFL was held to amend the rules so ex-servicemen would not be penalised for playing in minor matches.<ref name=Scout>"Last-Minute Permit For Nash", ''The Argus'', 21 April 1945, p. 7.</ref> The amendment was made the day before the commencement of the 1945 season, allowing Nash to take his place for South Melbourne in their Round 1.<ref name=Scout/>

 

 

South Melbourne won the minor premiership in 1945 and reached the [[1945 VFL Grand Final]], where it lost to {{AFL Car}}.<ref>Atkinson (1996), pp. 177–178.</ref> Named at full-forward, Nash was the oldest player in the Grand Final at 35 years and 150 days. The match, known as 'the Bloodbath', was notorious for its onfield violence. For his part, Nash king-hit Carlton captain [[Bob Chitty]] in the final quarter with what he later described as the sweetest punch he had ever thrown, knocking Chitty out, breaking his jaw and leaving a large wound over his left eye which required several stitches;<ref name=s166>Shaw, p. 166.</ref> as the umpire was unsighted, Nash went unreported over this incident.<ref>Shaw, p. 167.</ref> Nash was generally ineffective on the day, and his opponent [[Vin Brown]] was a consensus pick for best player on ground.<ref name=m124>Main (2006), p. 124.</ref><ref name=s176>Shaw, p. 176.</ref> Nash was described as a "sad figure… age and injury had reduced him to almost a caricature, a lion in winter simply going through the motions. His body was no longer capable of performing the feats that a decade earlier had seen him feted as the finest footballer to ever play the game."<ref>Shaw, p. 198.</ref>

==Style==

Nash's great sporting success can be partly attributed to his self-confidence. Once, when asked who was the greatest footballer he had ever seen, Nash replied "I see him in the mirror every morning when I shave".<ref name=Reed>Reed, R. (2000) "Nash's cap comes home", ''Melbourne Herald Sun'', 15 December 2000.</ref>

 

Yet, whilst Nash tended to sound arrogant in public, he was very modest about his success in private; in fact, his daughter Noelene was not aware of her father's sporting success until aged 12 when a friend's father told her.<ref>Wallish, pp. 171–172.</ref>

 

===Cricketing style===

 

Nash was also complimented on his control, stamina and "an ever present confidence in his ability", which, combined with his speed, made him a formidable bowler.<ref name=Smith>Smith, p. 183.</ref> Additionally, Nash was also praised for his fielding in almost any position, with one scribe referring to his "amazingly athletic ability".<ref name=Smith184>Smith, p. 184.</ref>

 

Nash was made a life member of South Melbourne Football Club in 1960<ref name="Wallish, p. 361"/> and following his death, the Sydney Swans wore black armbands in their match against Carlton,<ref name=FT/> named their Best and Fairest Award the "Laurie Nash Medal",<ref>[[Neil Cordy|Cordy, N]], "Swans Badly Need Role Models", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 16 September 1992, p. 56.</ref> in 2003 named him at centre-half-forward in their "Team of the Century"<ref>"[[Warwick Capper|Capper]] huffed but [[Tony Lockett|Lockett's]] chuffed", ''The Age'', 10 August 2003, p. 73.</ref> and in 2009 named him as an inaugural member of their Hall of Fame.<ref>Lane, D. "Nash at home among Swans' greatest.", ''The Sunday Age'', 19 July 2009, Sport Section, p. 5.</ref> The central place Nash held at the Swans was illustrated in 2005, when following [[2005 AFL Grand Final|Sydney's grand final win]], a cartoon appeared in the Melbourne ''Herald Sun'', featuring Swans players surrounding Nash, who was wearing his South Melbourne guernsey and was drinking from the premiership cup.<ref>Main (2009), p. 371.</ref>

 

Test batsman [[Merv Harvey]] once claimed that his greatest achievement was scoring runs off Nash's bowling, which he classed as the fastest he had ever faced, in a club match.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22808676 Taylor, P., "Introducing Mervyn Harvey, of Fitzroy", ''The Argus'', Weekend Supplement, (4 February 1950), p. 8.]</ref>

==External links==

{{Commons category}}

 

{{Tasmanian Team Of The Century}}

{{Sydney Swans Team of The Century}}

{{Sydney leading goalkickers}}

 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nash, Laurie}}

[[Category:South Melbourne cricketers]]

[[Category:Sydney Swans players]]

[[Category:Sydney Swans coaches]]

[[Category:Camberwell Football Club players]]

[[Category:Australian Roman Catholics]]

[[Category:Australian people of Irish descent]]

[[Category:Wangaratta Football Club players]]

[[Category:Casterton Football Club players]]

[[Category:City-South Football Club players]]

[[Category:Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]

[[Category:Australian Army soldiers]]