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Bob Rush (Australian footballer)

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Bob Rush
Bob Rush in 1910
Personal information
Full name Robert Thomas Rush
Date of birth (1880-10-09)9 October 1880
Place of birth Richmond, Victoria
Date of death 13 March 1975(1975-03-13) (aged 94)
Place of death Northcote, Victoria
Original team(s) CBC Parade
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1899–1908 Collingwood 143 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1908.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Robert Thomas Rush OBE (9 October 1880 – 13 March 1975) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Family

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The son of Roger Robert Rush (1856–1941),[1] and Mary Rush (1856–1943),[2] née Berry,[3] Robert Thomas Rush was born at Richmond, Victoria, on 9 October 1880.[4]

Wife

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He married Eileen Mary Maguire on 28 November 1911.[5]

Siblings

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Four of his seven brothers also played VFL football (they are the only set of five brothers to play in the VFL/AFL):[6]

Football

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Rush was a pacy defender and played mainly on a half-back flank, although he was also used in the back pockets. He was a member of Collingwood's 1902 and 1903 premierships.

Administrator

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After retiring as a player, Rush continued to serve Collingwood in a variety of roles over the years, including committeeman, assistant secretary and treasurer.[7] He eventually resigned from his last official position, that of committeeman, in mid-1950[8] as a consequence of the controversy that ensued over the appointment of Bervin Woods as coach of the First XVIII.[9]

In 1930, Rush performed match-day coaching duties to lead the club to its fourth consecutive premiership, filling in for Jock McHale who was ill; however, following a decision by AFL historians in 2014, McHale is now credited as Collingwood's sole coach in the game for the purposes of coaching statistics.[10]

Rush's grave at Melbourne General Cemetery

He is credited with having coined the Collingwood club motto of Floreat Pica ("May the Magpies Prosper").[11]

Australian National Football Council

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Rush was president of the Australian National Football Council from 1935 to 1946, heading the body that was in charge of the laws of Australian football.

Death

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He died on March 13, 1975, aged 94, and was buried at Melbourne General Cemetery.[12]

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ "Deaths: Rush", The Argus, (Monday, 19 May 1941) p. 4; "Mr. Roger Robert Rush", The Advocate, (Thursday, 29 May 1941), p. 24.
  2. ^ "Deaths: Rush", The Argus, (Thursday, 6 May 1943), p. 2; "Mrs. Mary Rush", The Advocate, (Thursday, 20 May 1943), p. 18.
  3. ^ "Marriages: Rush—Berry", The Leader, (Saturday, 8 November 1879), p. 28.
  4. ^ "Births: Rush", The Age, (Saturday, 16 October 1880), p. 1.
  5. ^ "Marriages: Rush—Maguire", The Argus, (Saturday, 13 January 1912), p. 13.
  6. ^ Pearce, Linda (6 May 2001). "The Houliclan". The Age. p. 14. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Collingwood Tribute to R.T. Rush", The Age, (Thursday, 30 June 1949).
  8. ^ Beames, Percy, "Collingwood Dispute: Committee Resigns, Election on June 28", The Age, (Wednesday, 24 May 1950), p. 24.
  9. ^ Spaull, R., "Bervin Woods - Five Days as Coach of Collingwood", Boyles Football Photos, 30 January 2015.
  10. ^ Courtney Walsh (31 October 2014). "No fudge: AFL insists Mick Malthouse celebration will be by the numbers". The Australian. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  11. ^ Bernard, J. & Mason, L., "R.T. Rush Trophy - the runner up", Collingwood Media, 9 October 2015.
  12. ^ The Age, (Friday, 14 March 1975), p. 22.

References

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  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
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