Ronald Charles Eric "Ron" Bywater (born 8 January 1919) was an Australian rules football

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 South Melbourne

Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

 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).

A key position player, Bywater missed many games early in his career due to his war service. He made just two appearances from 1942 to 1945. During the 1946 season, in July, Bywater announced his retirement, due to heart problems. He however returned the following year and in what was his first full season came within five votes of winning the 1947 Brownlow Medal

Brownlow Medal

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

, finishing equal third. As a result of a broken ankle, Bywater was out of action for much of the 1948 season

1948 VFL season

Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1948.-Premiership season:In 1947, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...

. He was used up forward in 1949 and kicked 25 goals from his 16 appearances. Only Dick Jones

Dick Jones (Australian footballer)

Richard Henry "Dick" Jones was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League .Jones, a rover, joined South Melbourne from East Fremantle, but hailed from rural Western Australia....

 kicked more goals for South Melbourne that year.

Bywater left South Melbourne midway through the 1950 season

1950 VFL season

Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1950.-Premiership season:In 1950, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...

 and joined Corowa

Corowa Football Club

The Corowa Football Club were an Australian rules football club which competed in the Ovens & Murray Football League.The club was based in Corowa, New South Wales.Famous footballers who played for the club include Fred Swift, Peter Chisnall and John Hoiles....

, a club which he would later coach. He was reunited with former teammate Billy King

Billy King (footballer)

William 'Billy' King was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the VFL during the 1940s.King, who started his career at South Melbourne in 1940, was recruited from Ascot Vale...

, the then captain-coach.