Hedley Tomkins
Encyclopedia
Hedley Whiteway Tomkins (11 June 1885 - 1965) was an Australian rules football
er who played with Fitzroy
and Melbourne
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
Tomkins played his early football with Metropolitan Junior Football Association
side Leopold, from where he made his way to Fitzroy in 1904. After making just four appearances, the rover was rejected by Fitzroy, deemed to be too small. He would however prove a good player for his new club, Melbourne.
His first stint with Melbourne was in the 1906 VFL season
and he kicked three goals in his debut, the first of five games he played that year. Over the next three years he played for Preston
in the Victorian Football Association
. He then returned to Melbourne and was a regular fixture in the side for four seasons, missing only six games during this time. His roving was good enough to earn him a spot in the VFL representative team which competed against South Australia in 1913.
Tomkins, who worked as a traveling salesman, transferred East Perth
in 1913. He played 30 games for the club and in 1914 represented Western Australia five times at the 1914 Sydney Carnival
.
In World War I
, Tomkins fought on the Western Front
and was badly injured in an artillery barrage during the Battle of the Somme. Hit by a trench mortar
, he received 13 wounds in the explosion, to his right leg, abdomen, right arm and left wrist. The most serious of his injuries was to his right leg and he had to have it amputated, below the knee.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
and Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL).
Tomkins played his early football with Metropolitan Junior Football Association
Victorian Amateur Football Association
The Victorian Amateur Football Association is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia consisting purely of amateur players. Unlike the Victorian Football League and the VFL/AFL, the VAFA has always been strictly a purely amateur league and has affiliations with both AFL Victoria...
side Leopold, from where he made his way to Fitzroy in 1904. After making just four appearances, the rover was rejected by Fitzroy, deemed to be too small. He would however prove a good player for his new club, Melbourne.
His first stint with Melbourne was in the 1906 VFL season
1906 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1906.-Premiership season:In 1906, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume...
and he kicked three goals in his debut, the first of five games he played that year. Over the next three years he played for Preston
Northern Bullants
Northern Blues Football Club is a long-established Australian rules football club based in Preston and currently playing in the Victorian Football League representing the central and outer areas of Melbourne...
in the Victorian Football Association
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
. He then returned to Melbourne and was a regular fixture in the side for four seasons, missing only six games during this time. His roving was good enough to earn him a spot in the VFL representative team which competed against South Australia in 1913.
Tomkins, who worked as a traveling salesman, transferred East Perth
East Perth Football Club
The East Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Royals, is an Australian rules football club that is a member of the West Australian Football League...
in 1913. He played 30 games for the club and in 1914 represented Western Australia five times at the 1914 Sydney Carnival
1914 Sydney Carnival
The 1914 Sydney Carnival was the third edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
.
In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Tomkins fought on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
and was badly injured in an artillery barrage during the Battle of the Somme. Hit by a trench mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, he received 13 wounds in the explosion, to his right leg, abdomen, right arm and left wrist. The most serious of his injuries was to his right leg and he had to have it amputated, below the knee.