Ross McCrimmon Clubman Award

Ross McCrimmon Clubman Award  –  awarded to anyone in the Club who did an ‘above the line’ job that exemplified the spirit of the Club – can be Board Member, Player, Official, Volunteer, etc.

Ross McCrimmon

Launceston Football Club  1947 – 1951, 1954   (109 games)

Launceston Best and Fairest  1948

Launceston NTFA premierships  1951

Leading Goalkicker    –  Launceston 1947 (29), 1948 (102), 1949 (73), 1950 (76), 1951 (55), 1954 (39)

–  NTFA  1948, 1949, 1950, 1951

NTFA Representative  1947 – 1950, 1954

Launceston Life Member  1957

Launceston Team of the Century  –  Full Forward

Launceston Football Club Committee  1959-1966

 

Ross learnt his early football at Prahan Technical School, and upon leaving school (at 16) he joined Fairfield in the Melbourne Amateur Association in 1939. When this Association lapsed at the outbreak of World War II, Jack Ross, a leading Collingwood player, took him along to the “Magpie” nest. Ross did not make the grade at a young age, and played the last three games with Abbotsford in 1940.

After two games in 1941, Ross joined the army and did not play football again until 1946 when, after training with Collingwood Seconds, he returned to Abbotsford, winning the club’s Best and Fairest award that year. Coming to Tasmania in 1947 at the invitation of an old army buddy, L.G. Shields (brother of the then Launceston Football Club President D.W. Shields), Ross liked it in Tasmania and decided to stay. He then joined the Blues in an association that was to be very rewarding to both parties in the years to follow.

In his first season at full forward for the Blues, Ross was able to steer 29 goals through the big opening, including bags of five against City and seven against Longford in consecutive games in August. However in 1948 we saw him become the greatest full forward in NTFA history when he kicked 88 goals in roster matches to break Col Eyles’ NTFA goal kicking record. Ross completed the 1948 season by kicking 132 goals (from roster matches, finals and representative matches), and topped off the season by winning the Club Best and Fairest award for that year.

Ross topped the NTFA goal kicking on no fewer than four occasions and also represented the NTFA many times. His best tallies for a match were on July 24th, 1948, when representing the NTFA against the NWFU at Devonport he kicked 11 goals (2 behinds), and then backed this up a week later for the Blues against Cornwall with 14 goals (2 behinds).

Ross accepted a position as coach of Exeter in 1952 and the team finished third in that season, and the following season he coached Beaconsfield whom he led to Premiership honours.

Ross returned to the Blues in 1954, and finished his playing days with the Blues, helping the Reserves in 1957 to win the Premiership (and also headed the Reserves goal kicking with 90 goals).

After retiring from football, Ross became a member of the Club’s committee (1959-1965), holding the positions of Secretary (1957-58) and NTFA Delegate (1961).

Ross was a spectacular high mark and deadly punt kick , and was rated as the best full forward in Tasmania since Alan Rait. His great service to the Launceston Football Club was honoured with Life Membership in 1957 and was selected as full forward in the Launceston Football Club Team of the Century.

The McCrimmon name has continued to be involved with the Launceston Football Club with Ross’s son John being a two time premiership player and sponsor of the Club, and grandsons Seth and Isaac also representing the Club.

Previous winners of the Ross McCrimmon Club Award:

2023 – Marty Palfreyman
2022 – Kurt & Megan Wheeler
2021 – Kristie Giblin
2020 – Andrew Robinson
2019 – Craig Seen
2018 – Jay Blackberry
2017 – Rob Miller
2016 – Chris Hills
2015 – Darren Lovell
2014 – Cameron Downie
2013 – Tim Bristow
2012 – Phil Thurlow
2011 – Will Campbell
2010 – Kerry Finch
2009 –
2008 – L MacLaren
2007 – John Turmine
2006 – Malcolm Atkins
2005 – Beau Green
2004 – Peter Thomson
2003 – Cale O’Keefe
2002 – Liz Curtis & Wayne Seen
2001 – Liz Curtis & Jon Sowden
2000 – S Hill
1999 – Gary Streets
1998 – A Goldsmith
1997 – D Brodie
1996 – Marcus Burston
1995 – D Campbell
1994 – Tim & Helen Cocker
1993 – M Brown & V Brown
1992 – Roy Barnard & Raelene Giblin
1991 – Kevin Goldsmith
1990 – C Miller
1989 – Phil Giblin
1988 – Ron Miller
1987 – R Barnard & D Seen
1986 – Paul O’Donoghue