Robert Nash (Australian rules footballer)

Infobox afl player | firstname = Robert
lastname = Nash




birthdate = 22 April 1884
birthplace =
originalteam = Northcote
heightweight =
dead = yes
deathdate =
deathplace =
debutdate = 1904
debutteam = Collingwood
debutopponent = Fitzroy
debutstadium = Victoria Park
playingteams = Collingwood (1904-1909)
* 88 games, 14 goals
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = 1909
careerhighlights =

* Collingwood Captain 1908-1909
* Represented Victoria 1908

Robert Nash (22 April 1884 - ?) was a former leading Australian rules footballer who captained Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and captain coached Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Nash is best known as the father of Test cricketer and leading footballer Laurie NashWallish E.A. (1998) The Great Laurie Nash, Ryan Publishing, Melbourne. ISBN 0-9587059-6-8.] .

Born in Melbourne, Nash played for VFA club Northcote until his recruitment by Collingwood in 1904. Nash became a leading player at Collingwood, playing 88 games and kicking 14 goals in six seasons [stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/B/Bob_Nash.html Accessed 10 April 2008] . Regarded as a powerful player who was a good mark and kick [Full Points Footy http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/n-o.htm#Robert%20Nash%20(Northcote,%20Collingwood,%20Footscray) Accessed 9 April 2008.] , he captained Collingwood in 1908 and 1909 and represented Victoria at the first interstate carnival in Melbourne in 1908 [Collingwood Football Club wesite http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/Season2008/News1/NewsArticle/tabid/5586/Default.aspx?newsId=55935 Accessed 9 April 2008.] .

After leaving Collingwood at the end of the 1910 season, Nash spent two years as captain-coach of VFA side Footscray before retiring at the end of 1912 [Full Points Footy http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/n-o.htm#Robert%20Nash%20(Northcote,%20Collingwood,%20Footscray) Accessed 9 April 2008.] .

Nash was a policeman, and went on strike in 1923 for better pay. He was dismissed from the force as a resultFlanigan, M. (1998) "Laurie Nash - The Genius", "The Age", 5 May 1998] and instead moved his family to Tasmania to run the hotel at Parattah. There he oversaw Laurie's sporting development and initially encouraged Laurie to concentrate on cricket rather than football [Main, J. & Holmesby, R. (2005) "Encyclopedia of AFL Football Players" AFL Publishing (2005) ISBN 1-920910-38-7] , and then refused to allow Laurie to play senior football until age 19.

References