Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Thomas Calder

Known as
Tom Calder

Born
17 December 1917

Died
23 June 1997 (aged 79)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 27y 216d
Last game: 27y 244d

Height and weight
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 83 kg

Senior clubs
North Hobart; South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
South Melbourne: 15

Tom Calder

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
North HobartTANFL1935————————
AscotQANFL1940————————
South MelbourneV/AFL1945500.0080%———0
MayneQANFL1946————————
CoorparooQANFL1947-1953————————
TANFL1935————————
QANFL1940————————
V/AFL1945500.0080%———0
QANFL1946-1953————————
Total1935, 1940, 1945-1953500.00—————

AFL: 5,505th player to appear, 9,872nd most games played, 11,646th most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 640th player to appear, 1,032nd most games played, 1,260th most goals kicked

Tom Calder was a brilliant and dashing utility player for Cooparoo, originally from Tasmania, who had an extraordinary football career despite having just one kidney. He played with North Hobart in 1935, representing Southern Tasmania versus Northern Tasmania, before heading to Brisbane, playing a handful of games in 1940 with Ascot, which temporarily replaced Mayne in the Queensland competition. Calder served in the air force from 1939 to 1945, playing football wherever and whenever possible. 

He played five VFL games for South Melbourne in 1945 before heading north again, playing with Mayne in 1946, before switching to Coorparoo. Super fit in his later days, he represented Queensland in 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, and 1953, including 1948 as captain-coach, and won the Grogan Medal in 1948 and again in 1950 as a 32-year-old. He was later assistant secretary of the league and an administrator with Coorparoo.

Author - Murray Bird and Peter Blucher

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.