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| Herbert George Chapman: Story & research by Jenny Cowen July 2006 Herbert George Chapman was born on 1st December 1890 at Woollahra, New South Wales. “ Bert” first came to the public's notice when he participated in the 1905 under 13's Public Schools Swimming Championships where he represented the Gardeners Road Public School. The Gardeners Road Public School, which is on the corner of Botany Road, in Mascot is a very famous school. The gates to the school depict in ironwork a youth kicking an Australian football, and are a tribute to Rupert Browne a teacher at the school and a life member of what was then the New South Australian Football League. In all probabilities young Bert Chapman was a pupil of Rupert Browne’s. Located on the land to the north-west of Gardeners Public School, on the other side of Botany Road, was the Australian Football Ground, which opened in 1911. The ground was owned by the League and judged as one of the finest ovals for the game. It is safe to assume that young Bert learnt to play Australian Rules Football at school, and being a natural at sport continued to play the game after leaving school. It was usual for young lads to go from school teams to the Young Australia competition then to progress to club teams, either first grade or reserve. Unfortunately few records of these teams are available, so it is at this stage impossible to ascertain which team/s Bert initially played with. In 1913 Bert Chapman played for Paddington and was often mentioned in newspaper reports: The Daily Telegraph on 28th April 1913 reported “Chapman (of Paddington) played splendidly in the match South Sydney v Paddington”. The match was a practice match played at Mascot. For the record South Sydney won, 6 goals, seven behinds to Paddington’s 6 goals 3 behinds. Bert played in the match Paddington v North Sydney at Hampden Oval (now known as Trumper Park). Paddington won 99 points to 50. The Daily Telegraph (7th May 1913)in its report of the game mentions Chapman, amongst others, as being a sure shooter. On reporting on Paddington’s win over East Sydney at the Hampden Oval, the Sydney Morning Herald, on 12th May 1913, stated “Chapman showed prominently”. The Daily Telegraph on 19th May 1913 stated “Chapman played and kicked one goal”. The game was played on the Australian Football Ground, Paddington kicking 10 goals, 17 behinds to Newtown’s 3 goals, 4 behinds. On 26th May 1913 the Daily Telegraph said that Chapman scored a goal in the third quarter, Paddington 9 goals 25 behinds to Balmain’s 8 goals, 5 behinds. New South Wales were to have then played three representative games. On 7th June 1913 New South Wales was to play Queensland at the Exhibition Oval, on 16th August New South Wales and Carlton were scheduled to clash on the Hampden Oval (Bert was selected in the squad of 30) and finally on 2nd September New South Wales were to play St Kilda on the Australian Football Ground. Unfortunately there was a smallpox epidemic in Sydney, which curtailed the representative fixtures for that year. On 6th August 1913 the Daily Telegraph reported “The smallpox epidemic has interfered with the success of the season. Queensland have deferred the date of meeting NSW in Sydney. Carlton (Vic.) have written to the League to the effect that they cannot keep their engagement on August 16 and St Kilda may be in the same boat, though they have not made any mention of their withdrawal”. On 13th August 1913 the Sydney Morning Herald reported that “…St Kilda Club, who have now excellent prospects of reaching the semi finals games of the Victorian League Premiership, have cancelled their visit to Sydney…”. On Saturday 23rd August 1913 Paddington played in the Grand Final, played at the Australian Football Ground, Sydney defeated Paddington, 9 goals 16 behinds to 6 goals, 6 behinds. Bert Chapman played in a match “Native Born v Other States” on 30 August a pseudo interstate game. The “Other States” team was made up of players in Sydney who originated from interstate. The Daily Telegraph reported on 3rd September that “…Some of the players shone in new roles. First of all was the Paddington champion, Bert Chapman. When on the ball he was full of vigour, which followed him when stationed out on the wing. He kicked two goals, one with his left foot from a long way out and it was one of the best seen on the big ground this year…” In an unidentified Victorian newspaper report in early 1914 Bert Chapman was wrongly referred to as “A” Chapman. The report states “The Sydney newspapers have already noted the departure of A. Chapman, the Paddington forward and follower. His reputation as a fine footballer is well known in New South Wales, and the committee is quite confident that he will live up to it here…”. (See copy above) St Kilda, were in fact so confident of Bert Chapman’s ability that he was one of only five of their players that featured on a series of cigarette cards. The card from 1913 from the Sniders and Abraham Tobacco Company, called the “Shield” series comes with two different advertisements on the back. One for Standard cigarettes and the other for Peter Pan Tobacco. (See photos above) Bert Chapman made his debut with St Kilda against Carlton in the second round of the 1914 season. Bert wore the number 19 geursey and played a total of seven games, he kicked his only goal in round seven. Unfortunately Bert, who was known as a high-flyer, injured his ankle after taking a mark, the injury ended his football career. Seven games but Bert was truly their hero. Age Newspaper Geoff McClure June 30, 2006 IN AN era in which the legends and champions of the game are honoured and organisations such as the AFL's hall of fame are an important part of our sporting culture, it's refreshing to know that you need not have been a so-called star of the game to have left an impression on it. Such a player is Bert Chapman, someone who most of us would never have heard of, not least because he played for St Kilda more than 90 years ago and managed just seven games before an all-too-brief career was ended when he badly injured his ankle. Well, Chapman may be forgotten but not by his family, most notably Jenny Cowen, who recently took it on herself to research her long-lost relative, the results of which will reach fruition tomorrow at Telstra Dome where Bert's Saints take on Hawthorn and where a large number of family members will gather for a footy-day reunion the type of which we've never heard of. And what an exercise it has been. Such has been her enthusiasm in dredging up every minute detail of Bert's life — helped along, we must say, by the AFL's Col Hutchinson and respected footy stats man and historian Kevin Taylor who got caught up in Jenny's passion — that even St Kilda will play a part in the tribute, having invited Bert's 85-year-old son Keith into the rooms before the game. "People may wonder why such a short football career is so important to us," said Jenny, a lifelong Saints fan. "The simple reason is that St Kilda, and football in general, has been the linchpin in bringing a family together again. I have enjoyed researching him, not just because he is family, but because today I think we overemphasise the champions but do not give much credit or kudos to the journeymen." Bravo Jenny — we wish the family gathering well in what will surely be a day for them all to remember. |
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| Newspaper Report - 1914 |
| Herbert George Chapman |