Fred McGinis

DOB: 18 November, 1876
Died: 20 March, 1953
Debut: Round 1, 1897 against South Melbourne at Lake Oval
Last Game: Round 17, 1901 against Fitzroy at Brunswick Street

Games: 84
Goals: 36
Career Statistics

From: City (Hobart)

Honours:
Premiership Player - 1900
Captain - 1901 (resigned after two games)
150 Heroes
Victorian state player - 1899, 1900

McGinis first arrived in Melbourne intent on playing for Essendon, but believing he wouldn't get a game in front of fellow Tasmanians Vautin and Campbell he signed for the Redlegs instead, making his debut for the club in the 1894 VFA season.

An urban myth surrounding McGinis suggests that he was supposed to go to the Essendon changerooms before his first match but was waylaid to the Melbourne rooms where he decided to stay.

Despite suffering a knee injury in 1895 he was an original member of the Melbourne VFL team.

McGinis is often listed as the "1897 Champion of the Colony", but there is considerable controversy as to whether such an award actually existed. Nevertheless he was widely acknowledged as the best player in the league that season.

He played in every Melbourne VFL game from the first match until Round 11, 1900 - 62 matches consecutively.

McGinis was one of the Redlegs best in the 1900 premiership season and after fighting back from an ankle injury he was appointed captain in 1901. He resigned from the role after two losses, and as the season wore on suffered problems with his vision and was forced to retire and return to Tasmania. A benefit match was played on September 2, 1902 between the VFL and VFL to raise funds for him. 7000 people attended the match and 500p was raised. The league won 9.17 to 4.5.

Notes
In newspaper reports of the time his surname was often spelt as McGuinness

Links
Wikipedia profile
Full Points Footy profile