George Prince (footballer)
George Prince | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | George James Prince | ||
Date of birth | 21 May 1918 | ||
Place of birth | East Fremantle, Western Australia | ||
Date of death | 3 September 2002 | (aged 84)||
Place of death | Ravenswood, Western Australia | ||
Original team(s) | Palmyra Juniors | ||
Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Position(s) | Utility | ||
Playing career | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1939–1952 | East Fremantle | 234 (425) | |
Representative team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
1946–1949 | Western Australia | 6 (8) | |
Career highlights | |||
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Source: AustralianFootball.com |
George James Prince (21 May 1918 – 3 September 2002) was an
Biography
Prince was born in East Fremantle and began his career with the nearby
40 goals from 19 games was enough to make Prince East Fremantle's leading goalkicker in 1947. Increasingly being stationed at centre half-forward or full-forward, he kicked 87 goals from 19 games in 1949 to become the league leading goalkicker, taking over from the legendary George Doig as the club's best forward. Prince bettered himself with 90 goals in 1950, but was eclipsed by Perth's Ron Tucker for the overall gong with 115 goals. In both of those seasons, Prince kicked 10 goals in home games against Swan Districts at Fremantle Oval.[2]
Prince spent his last two seasons (1951 and 1952) at full-back, covering a team weak spot. His last 158 games between July 1945 and September 1952 were played consecutively, a club record.[1] At state level, Prince made his debut for Western Australia in 1946, and kicked eight goals from six total games (including three games at the 1947 Australian National Carnival). He kicked two goals against Victoria from a forward pocket to help his team to a rare four-point victory; however, a WA loss to South Australia and a Victorian flogging of the same team meant that Victoria still went on to win the carnival.[3]
Prince became a successful businessman after retiring from football, becoming a director of a large shipping company. He painted his 26-vessel fleet in the club colours of blue and white. Prince was made an East Fremantle life member in 1952, and in 1997 was named at centre-half-forward in the East Fremantle Team of the Century. He was posthumously inducted in to the West Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.[1]