Ron Cooper (Australian footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ronald Thomas 'Socks' Cooper (8 June 1911 – 18 October 1991) was an Australian rules football
er who played for Carlton
and North Melbourne
in the VFL
. His habit of wearing his socks knee high earned him his nickname.
Cooper, originally from the Albany
district, started his career in the West Australian Football League
. Playing mostly as a rover or centreman, he spent three seasons with Claremont-Cottesloe
and won their 1931 'Best and fairest' award as well as finishing second in the Sandover Medal
count to Lin Richards
. After 49 games, he sought and received a clearance to Carlton and had a good debut season.
He broke into the strong Carlton side in round five and was part of nine successive wins as the club made it all the way to the Grand Final
. Cooper played in a forward pocket
in the Grand Final loss to Richmond
and despite appearing in further finals in subsequent years he never made another decider. The closest he came was when Carlton won the premiership in 1938
but he missed the Grand Final through suspension, having been charged with striking St Kilda's Doug Rayment in the final home and away fixture. Despite missing the finals series it was his most prolific season in front of goals, with 30 majors.
'Socks' Cooper crossed to North Melbourne in 1943 but only played the one season. He spent the rest of the decade at VFA club Prahran
.
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 for Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
and North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. His habit of wearing his socks knee high earned him his nickname.
Cooper, originally from the Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
district, started his career in the West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
. Playing mostly as a rover or centreman, he spent three seasons with Claremont-Cottesloe
Claremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
and won their 1931 'Best and fairest' award as well as finishing second in the Sandover Medal
Sandover Medal
The Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League...
count to Lin Richards
Lin Richards
Lindsay 'Lin' Richards was an Australian rules footballer who played for East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League...
. After 49 games, he sought and received a clearance to Carlton and had a good debut season.
He broke into the strong Carlton side in round five and was part of nine successive wins as the club made it all the way to the Grand Final
1932 VFL Grand Final
The 1932 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Richmond Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 1 October 1932. It was the 36th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the...
. Cooper played in a forward pocket
Forward pocket
In Australian rules football, the forward pocket refers to a position on the field deep in offense.Forward pocket players, situated in the forward line, need to have good avoidance and goal sneak skills and usually, quality forward-pockets are noted for their agility and ability to score difficult...
in the Grand Final loss to Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
and despite appearing in further finals in subsequent years he never made another decider. The closest he came was when Carlton won the premiership in 1938
1938 VFL Grand Final
The 1938 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 1938. It was the 42nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
but he missed the Grand Final through suspension, having been charged with striking St Kilda's Doug Rayment in the final home and away fixture. Despite missing the finals series it was his most prolific season in front of goals, with 30 majors.
'Socks' Cooper crossed to North Melbourne in 1943 but only played the one season. He spent the rest of the decade at VFA club Prahran
Prahran Football Club
Prahran Football Club, nicknamed The Two Blues, is an Australian rules football club based at Toorak Park in Orrong Road between High Street and Malvern Road, Armadale, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 2007, the club has competed in D1 Section of the Victorian Amateur Football Association...
.