On the 106^th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, we remember the brave men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

230 former North Melbourne players have represented our country in World War I, World War II, Vietnam War or in the National Service, with seven of those dying in active duty.

We will remember them.

Died in active service (all WW2)

Lance Corporal Halcombe Brock

(3/04/1919 - 2/08/1941)

Lance Corporal Halcombe Brock served as a Leading Aircraftman in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941. 

On the 6th of January, Brock was enlisted in the RAAF, but was granted permission to play for North, who he played four games for, and kicked three goals.

At just 22-years-old, Brock was accidentally killed in an air collision on August 2 in the You Yangs, a mountain range south-west of Melbourne.

Private Alfred Goonan

(3/04/1904 - 22/01/1942)

Private Alfred Goonan served as part of the Infantry Battalion in the Australian Army between 1940 and 1942.

Goonan, who played seven games for North and kicked 12 goals, was a part of the club’s first ever VFL game, and is believed to have kicked North’s first ever score.

At the age of 37, he was killed in action on January 22, 1942 in Singapore, Malaya.

Private Leonard Johnson

(6/07/1908 - 24/01/1942) 

Private Leonard Johnson was a member of the Reserve Motor Transport Company in the Australian Army. 

The full-forward made the move to North Melbourne after playing 64 games for Essendon, and featured in the royal blue and white five times in 1933.

At 33-years-old, Johnson died while on active service on January 24, 1942 in Singapore, Malaya.

Flying Officer Albert Peters

(8/08/1908 - 13/06/1944)

Flying Officer Albert Peters, a school teacher by trade, was a part of Squadron 53 in the RAAF. 

Peters played 17 games for North in two seasons, but was never a part of a winning side. 

At 35-years-old, Peters was sent to England for training, and was posted to his squadron.

While conducting an anti-submarine patrol on June 13, 1944, Peters’ aircraft was shot down over the English Channel, with all crew members on board killed. 

Pilot Officer Beresford Reilly

(17/09/1914 - 23/07/1943) 

Pilot Officer Beresford Reilly, a butcher by trade, was a part of Squadron 454 in the RAAF. 

Reilly played eight games for North after moving from Footscray after failing to get a game. 

The winger also played at Melbourne and St Kilda after his stint at Arden Street. 

Reilly was killed on July 23, 1943, when his aircraft crashed over Crete. 

Flight Sergeant Morris Shapir

(9/09/1917 - 15/08/1942)

Flight Sergeant Morris Shapir, who was a member of Squadron 108 in the RAAF, played three games for North. 

Standing at 164 centimetres, and weighing just under 62 kgs, Shapir managed three goals in his career. 

Shapir was killed in action on August 15, 1942 in Egypt.

Corporal Leonard Thomas

(20/07/1908 - 17/08/1943)

Corporal Leonard Thomas was a member of the Independent Company in the Australian Army.

Thomas played over 200 games for South Melbourne (187), North (16) and Melbourne (6), and kicked 78 goals. 

At age 35, Thomas was killed fighting the Japanese in Salamaua, New Guinea, and became the most experienced VFL player to be killed in war. 

Former North Melbourne players who served

WW1

Henry Clapson

Archibald Giles

Albert Linton Snr

William Russ

WW2

Alec Albiston

Ronald Allan

 John Allister

Francis Anderson

Edward Atkinson

Tom Attenborough

Selwyn Baker

Raymond Bamford

Charles Bartling

 Sydney Barker Jnr

John Bennett

Lawrence Blades

Campbell Bogie

James Bolwell

Edward Bourke

Gerald Britt

Irvine Bromley

Robert Brooker

Joseph Bruce

Mervyn Bulger

David Burke

Charles Cameron

William Campbell

Christopher Carroll

F.Wallace Carter

Dudley Cassidy

Keith Chamberlain

Henry Clapson

Milton Clark

Albert Clarke

Alexander Clarke

Paul Clarke

Raymond Clarke

Donald Condon

Francis Connellan

Jack Cordner

Donald Coulton

John Crane

Francis Crapper

Allan Crawford

Vincent Cross

Alfred Crump

Claude Curtin

Frederick Dean

Roy Deller

John Diprose

Cairo Dixon

John Donnellan

John Donovan

Robert Drummond

Arthur Duncan

William Dunn

Thomas Dunne

Graham Dunscombe

Phillip Dunstone

Leo Dwyer

Kevin Dynon

Edward Edwards

Maurice Edwards

Roy Eliason

Frederick Fairweather

Horace Farmer

Richard Flynn

Joseph Foden

Leslie Foote

 Keith Forbes

Charles Gaudion

John Gaudion

William Gerrand

Donald Gibson

Patrick Gill

Harry Green

Bruce Gregory

John Gregory

Alfred Hacker

Eric Haggis

Archibald Hamilton

John Harrison

William Harvey

Francis Hasell

Kevin Hayes

Thomas Hayes

Charles Healy

Albert Hill

Vincent Hogan

Harold Hooke

Leonard Hooke

Clifford Hough

Ronald Howell

Kevin Hurley

 Raymond Jackson

Neil Jeffrey

Douglas Johnson

Lloyd Johnson

Edgar Jones

Herbert Jones

William Jory

Daniel Kearney

George Kennedy

James Kennedy

John Kenny

James Kirby

Joseph Kirkley

Joseph Knott

John Lander

Thomas Leather

Duncan Lindsay

John Lynch

William Lynch

John Lyons

Roy Lyons

Allan Maas

Joseph Malone

Arnold Maltby

Arthur Mason

John Mathews

Robert Mathews

Richard May

William McCabe

Allan McCasker

Leonard McConnell

John McCorkell

Joseph McElholum

Robert McEwen

Michael McFarlane

Sydney McGain

Walter McGrath

Keith McKenzie

Ronald McLeod

William McMaster

Frank Melville

Keith Miller

Richard Molloy

Allan Montgomery

Ronald Moran

Edwin Morcom

Charles Morgan

Arthur Morley

George Morrissey

Norman Murray

Francis Neenan

David Nelson

John Norris

Richard O’Shea

Robert Oswald

Osborne Parks

James Patterson

John Patterson

Francis Pearce

Frank Penney

George Peters

Walter Perry

Charles Pierce

Hughes Price

Michael Pullen

Pearce Purcell

Royston Quinn

Stanley Radlof

James Reid

Harold Robb

Thomas Roulent

Claude Rowe

Reginald Ryan

Ormond Saunders

John Sexton

William Sharp

Roy Sitch

Alan Smith

Clive Smith

William Smith

 Harold Somerville

Colin Spratling

Arthur Staveley

James Steigenberger

Thomas Stevens

Francis Stubbs

Norman Tomkinson

Edward Turner

Leo Tyrell

Clifford Tyson

Trevor Wallace

 Donald Watson

William Welsh

Eric Whittam

Albert Williams

Harold Winberg

Edward Wintle

Herbert Wood

Raymond Wynd

Gordon Yea

VIETNAM

Graham Cornes 

NATIONAL SERVICE

Stan Alves

Allen Aylett

Robert Burt

Barry Cheatley

Michael Delanty

Neil Doolan

John Dugdale

Gerald Eastmure

Garry English

Roy Files

Frank Galle

Michael Gaudion

Barry Harrison

Sam Kekovich

Albert Mantello

Len Marchesi

Roderick McKindlay

Richard Michalczyk

John O’Brien

Brian O’ Halloran

John Perry

Michael Redenbach

Reginald Sanders

William Serong

Bradley Smith

Desmond Tobin

Brian Turner

Graham Walker

Colin Wiltshire