MELBOURNE and Richmond’s wartime heritage is significant.

And, it is for this reason, that the two clubs will pay tribute to their shared wartime history at the MCG on April 24 in their fourth consecutive Anzac Day Eve night match.

It will be just the sixth time the two clubs have met on April 24 – with the first two meetings occurring in 1915 and 1937.

Tragically, 35 men who played for Melbourne or Richmond died from active service – either from World War I or World War II.

During the Second World War, Melbourne and Richmond met in the 1940 Grand Final, which the red and blue won. It remains their only meeting in a Grand Final.

Melbourne shared Punt Road Oval as its home ground during WW2 – considered an act of generosity by Richmond – until late in the 1946 season, due to the MCG being occupied by the armed forces.

In 1944, Melbourne contributed to Richmond’s prisoner of war fund.

All of Melbourne’s key best and fairest trophies are named after players lost due to war.

The most famous is Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott, a dual Melbourne premiership player in 1939-40. He was also one of Australia’s best-known flying aces during World War II.

The VFL awarded premiership medals posthumously to Truscott, Ron Barassi Snr and Harold Ball, as it was considered certainties to have played in the 1941 Grand Final.

Melbourne lost players in many of the key Australian wartime battles, including Joe Pearce in Anzac Cove, Barassi Snr in Tobruk, Syd Anderson in the Pacific and Ball in the fall of Singapore. 

Richmond’s Bill Cosgrove is the uncle of Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK MC (Retd) who served as Chief of the Australian Defence Force.

Cosgrove’s 1940 season was cut short by war service.

In fact, six of Richmond’s 1940 Grand Final side served Australia in the war.

In 1943 – just six weeks before Richmond’s premiership – Cosgrove was shot down and killed in action over New Guinea.

They are just some of the stories that remain etched in history today.

Players who represented Melbourne and Richmond killed in action

Melbourne (30)

World War I: Jim Bonelli, Cliff Burge, Jack Doubleday, Bill Fischer, Albert Gourlay, Mal Kennedy, Frank Lugton, Jim Mackie, Bill Maxwell, Fen McDonald, Alick Ogilvie, Joe Pearce, Leo Rankin, Harold Rippon, Percy Rodriguez, Bobby Royle, Alf Williamson

World War II: Syd L. Anderson, Jack Atkins, Harold Ball, Ron J.Barassi, Laurie Brady, Noel Ellis, Clyde Helmer, Derek Mollison, Ted Regan, Beres Reilly, Archie Roberts, Keith Truscott, Barney Wood

Richmond (five)

World War I: Artie Harrison, Les Lee, Bill Nolan

World War II: Bill Cosgrove, Bill Garvie.

All VFL players killed in action during the Boer War, WW1 and WW2

Boer War

Player

Club

Career

Location of Death / Detail

Date of Death

Charlie

Moore

Essendon

1897-99

Quaggashoek, South Africa

12/05/1901

Stan

Reid

Fitzroy

1897-98

Near Ermelo, South Africa

29/06/1901

World War 1

James T.

Aitken

GEEL

1903

Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey

8/08/1915

Rupert

Balfe

UNIV

1909; 1911

Pine Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey

25/04/1915

John

Bell elder

GEEL

1906; 1908

Tincourt, France

27/12/1917

Lewis

Blackmore

ESS

1905-07

Pozieres, France

23/07/1916

Jim 

Bonelli

MELB

1908

DOW in France

24/05/1918

Norm

Bradford

STH MLB/SYD

1915

Pozieres, France

4/08/1916

Cliff

Burge

MELB

1914

Harvily, France

14/08/1918

Arthur

Caldwell

ST K

1909

Died of Wounds, Malta

26/07/1915

Hughie

Callan

STH MLB/SYD

1903-05

Gueudecourt, France

5/02/1917

Sam

Campbell

COLL

1910

Died of influenza OAS, Sierra Leone

21/10/1918

George

Challis

CARLT

1912-15

Armentieres, France

15/07/1916

Thornton

Clarke

FITZ

1911

Fleurbaix, France

19/07/1916

Dick

Clough

ESS

1907-08

DOW at sea

2/06/1915

Harry

Collins

FITZ

1912; 1915

Villers-Bretonneux, France

10/08/1918

Jack T.

Cooper

FITZ

1907-15

Polygon Wood, Belgium

20/09/1917

Arch

Corbett

UNIV

1912-13

Lost overboard at sea near Toulin

25/06/1920

Alan

Cordner

COLL

1911-12

Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey

25/04/1915

Claude

Crowl

ST K

1911

Gallipoli, Turkey

25/04/1915

Joe

Crowl

GEEL

1906

Walker’s Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey

27/06/1915

Dave

Cumming

UNIV

1911-12

Villers-Bretonneux, France

3/05/1918

Harry

Daniel

CARLT

1901

Villers-Bretonneux, France

10/08/1918

Jack

Doubleday

MELB

1912-14

At sea in the Indian Ocean

30/10/1918

George

Elliott

UNIV

1905

Polygon Wood, Belgium

25/09/1917

Jim

Farnan

ST K

1899

Pozieres, France

9/08/1916

Fred

Fielding

COLL

1911

Amiens, France

8/08/1918

Charlie

Fincher

STH MLB/SYD

1913

Gallipoli, Turkey

25/04/1915

Bill

Fischer

MELB

1909

Passchendaele, Belgium

15/10/1917

Chris

Fogarty

UNIV

1906

Lone Pine, Turkey

29/11/1915

Jack

Freeman

STH MLB/SYD

1913-14

Abincourt, France

15/11/1916

Dick

Gibbs

UNIV

1912-14

Fleurbaix, France

19/07/1916

Dave

Gillespie

CARLT

1907-08

DOW OAS at Caulfield, Vic

27/03/1917

Jimmy

Gordon

ESS

1913-14

France

30/09/1918

Albert

Gourlay

CARLT

1903

DOW in Surrey, England after serving in the NZ army in France

1/11/1918

Artie C.

Harrison

FITZ

1911

Bullecourt, France

3/05/1917

Ed

Harrison

STH MLB/SYD

1906; 1908-09

Bapaume, France

13/03/1917

Billy G.

Harvey

ESS

1912

Ypres, Belgium

14/09/1917

Arthur

Hinman

UNIV

1910-11

Quinns Post, Gallipoli, Turkey

10/05/1915

Lou

Holmes

ST K

1910

DOW Gallipoli

23/06/1915

Herb 

Hunter

ESS

1900

Cape Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey

8/05/1915

Les

James

GEEL

1909-11; 1913-15

Passchendaele, Belgium

22/10/1917

Arthur 

Jones

FITZ

1914

Gallipoli, Turkey

7/08/1915

Mal

Kennedy

MELB

1911-12

DOW in Wytschete, Belgium

2/01/1918

Bill

Landy

GEEL

1915

Fleurbaix, France

19/07/1916

Charles

Langtree

COLL

1900

Corbie, France

3/08/1916

Ron

Larking

UNIV

1909

Neuve Eglise, France

1/04/1918

Les

Lee

RICH

1913

Messines, France

8/06/1917

Otto

Lowenstern

ST K

1910-11

France (served in Canadian Army)

1/12/1917

Frank

Lugton

MELB

1913-14

Pozieres, France

29/07/1916

Jim 

Mackie

MELB

1913

Bapaume, France

20/03/1917

Bill

Madden

ST K

1908-09

Bullecourt, France

3/05/1917

Peter

Martin

COLL

1901-02

DOW at South Melbourne, Vic

25/03/1918

Stan

Martin

UNIV

1909-14

Bullecourt, France

3/05/1917

Bill

Maxwell

MELB

1909

Passchendaele, Belgium

12/10/1917

Tom

McCluskey

FITZ

1910

Passchendaele, Belgium

4/10/1917

Fen

McDonald

MELB

1911-12

Gallipoli, Turkey

25/04/1915

Paddy

McGuinness

ST K

1901

DOW in Le Treport, France

6/05/1918

Fred

McIntosh

ESS

1913-14

DOW in Polygon Wood, Belguim

28/09/1917

Arthur

McKenzie

GEEL

1898

Le Transloy, France

18/07/1916

M. Stan

McKenzie

CARLT

1914

Alexandria, Egypt

8/12/1915

Ted

McLean

GEEL

1912

Gallipoli, Turkey

29/05/1915

Charlie

Morley

ESS

1906

OAS (illness), England

13/04/1919

Stan

Neale

UNIV

1913-14

Bullecourt, France

29/09/1918

Jim

Nicholas

UNIV

1911

Menin Road, Belgium

20/09/1917

Bill

Nolan

RICH

1914-15

DOW in Boulogne, France

23/06/1916

Bert

O'Connell

ST K

1908

DOW in Broodseinde Ridge, Belgium

17/10/1917

Alick

Ogilvie

UNIV

1905

DOW in Malta, after being mortally wounded on the 6th.

18/08/1915

Charlie

Oliver

CARLT

1900

OAS as the result of an accident at Seymour

29/12/1917

Sid

O'Neill

FITZ

1909

Walkers Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey

7/08/1915

 

Alby

Patterson

Carl

1897

Died of illness attributable to war service

16/4/1920

 

Harold

Parker

ST K

1911

DOW as a POW, Lille, France

30/01/1917

Joe

Pearce

MELB

1904-13

Gallipoli, Turkey

25/04/1915

Jim R.

Pender

CARLT

1898

Bois Grenier, France

2/07/1916

Hugh

Plowman

ST K

1910-12

Fleurbaix, France

19/07/1916

Les

Primrose

UNIV

1912-13

Cladeincourt, France

4/06/1918

Leo

Rankin

MELB

1899

Died of illness OAS in England

10/05/1917

Harold

Rippon

STH MLB/SYD

1898

DOW in Somme, France

16/01/1917

Alex J.

Robertson

UNIV

1909

Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey

6/08/1915

Ralph

Robertson

ST K

1899-1900

Aboukir Aerodrome, Egypt

11/05/1917

Percy

Rodriguez

MELB

1914

Noreuil, France

20/03/1917

Bill

Rogers

CARLT

1913

DOW at Rouen, France

22/09/1918

Les

Rogers

ESS

1915

Pozieres, France

4/08/1916

Paddy (Percy E.)

Rowan (Rowe)

COLL

1911-15

DOW in France

5/12/1916

Bobby

Royle

MELB

1898

Gueudecourt, Franice

3/11/1916

Gerald J.

Ryan

ESS

1906; 1909

Tiddworth, Wiltshire, UK

6/02/1917

Cyril

Seelenmeyer

UNIV

1914

Fouilloy, France

8/08/1918

Joe

Slater

GEEL

1906-14

Bullecourt, France

3/05/1917

Bruce

Sloss

STH MLB/SYD

1907-08

Armenteries, France

4/01/1917

Claude

Thomas

STH MLB/SYD

1914-15

Hamel, France

5/07/1918

Jack

Turnbull

STH MLB/SYD

1908

Messines, France

2/05/1917

Jack P.

Walker

ST K

1910-11

Pozieres, France

27/07/1916

Mal

Williams

UNIV

1908

DOW, France

3/03/1917

Alf

Williamson

MELB

1912-14

Bullecourt, France

11/04/1917

Jack

Wood

ESS

1910

OAS as the result of an accident at East Melb, Vic

20/10/1914

Tommy

Worle

COLL

1907

Passchendaele, Belgium

31/07/1917

Tom

Wright

COLL

1906-07

Le Transloy, France

12/12/1916

World War 2

Syd L.

Anderson

Melbourne

1939-41

Wewak, Dutch New Guinea

20/05/1944

Jack

Atkins

Melbourne

1940

Sundra Strait

1/03/1942

Wilf

Atkinson

Carlton

1942

Flying Battle, Sicily

12/08/1943

Harold

Ball

Melbourne

1939-40

Malaya

9/02/1942

Ron J.

Barassi 

Melbourne

1936-40

Tobruk

31/07/1941

Paul

Bell

St Kilda

1937-38

Balikpapan, Borneo

4/07/1945

Laurie

Brady

Melbourne

1913

 

1/05/1944

George

Brock

North Melb

1941

OAS at the You Yangs, Vic

2/08/1941

Harry

Comte

St Kilda

1930-37

Tarakan Island, Borneo

30/05/1945

Tommy

Corrigan

Fitzroy

1922-28

Died of illness OAS at Heidelberg Hospital

9/01/1943

Bill

Cosgrove

Richmond

1940

Goodenough Island, New Guinea

11/08/1943

Bill S.

Downie

Footscray

1929-32

POW in Moulmein, Burma

11/09/1943

Jack

Drake

Hawthorn

1926

Brallos Pass, Greece

23/04/1941

Noel

Ellis

Melbourne

1940-41

OAS at Yimboona Army Camp South of Brisbane, Qld

6/07/1942

Bob

Flegg

St Kilda

1941

Shot down in an air raid on German Airbase at Feuersbrunn

7/07/1944

Bill

Garvie

Richmond

1934-35

Atherton Tablelands, Qld

27/06/1944

Alf

Giblett

Hawthorn

1935

New Guinea

19/06/1943

Godfrey

Goldin

Essendon

1939

DOW in New Guinea

7/02/1943

Alf

Goonan

North Melb

1925-26

OAS, Malaya  

22/01/1942

Jeff

Grieve

South Melb

1941

Glenshee, Scotland

8/11/1944

Gordon

Hamilton

South Melb

1940

Drowned OAS rescuing a girl at Chelsea, Vic

23/02/1941

Alf

Hedge

South Melb

1937-38

Over Hamburg, Germany

4/05/1942

Fred

Heintz

Fitzroy

1931-33

Died as a POW, Ambon

20/02/1942

Clyde

Helmer

Geelong

1937-41

Aitapi, near Lae, New Guinea

24/04/1945

 

Lyall

Hone

Hawthorn

1940

Died of illness attributed to war service

13/6/1946

 

Bill

Hudson

St Kilda

1942

New Guinea

11/04/1945

Len

Johnson

Essendon

1929-33

Singapore

24/01/1942

Jack

Keddie

Essendon

1941

Wewak, New Guinea

15/08/1945

Stuart

King

St Kilda

1931-33

Coral Sea

28/02/1943

Jim

Knight

Geelong

1939-41

Goodenough Island

11/10/1943

Ralph

Lancaster

Geelong

1929-32; 1935

DOW, New Guinea

28/08/1942

Norm 

Le Brun

South Melb

1929

Near Danmap River, New Guinea

15/11/1944

Jack T.

Lynch

Geelong

1939-40

OAS at Charters Towers, Queensland

8/09/1944

Ken

MacLeod

University

1910-13

Nowegian Sea

8/04/1940

Wallace

Mills

St Kilda

1937

Babinda, Qld

24/11/1943

Derek

Mollison

Melbourne

1923-28

OAS at Rockhampton, Qld

19/12/1943

Alex

Nash

Hawthorn

1942

Jacquinot Bay, New Guinea

28/03/1944

Norm L.

Oliver

Collingwood

1940-41

Hansa Bay, New Guinea

27/06/1944

Jim W.

Park

Carlton

1932-40

Wau, New Guinea

9/02/1943

Allan

Pearsall

South Melb

1941

Over English Channel

8/03/1944

Bert

Peters

North Melb

1930-31

Over English Channel

13/06/1944

Dick M.

Pirrie

Hawthorn

1940-41

Normandy, France

6/06/1944

Jack

Price

Hawthorn

1925

Syria

27/06/1941

Ted

Regan

Melbourne

1938

Burma

9/07/1943

Beres

Reilly

North Melb

1935-36

Over Crete

23/07/1943

Archie

Roberts

Melbourne

1932-36

POW, Ambon Island

6/06/1945

Percy

Roberts

Fitzroy

1929; 1932

POW, Moulmein, Burma

3/08/1943

Gordon

Sawley

South Melb

1941

OAS in training flight accident over Scotland

14/08/1942

Mo

Shapir

North Melb

1935

Egypt

15/08/1942

Jack T.

Shelton

St Kilda

1925-28

Tobruk

1/05/1941

Len A.

Smith

South Melb

1902

OAS at Heidelberg Hospital, Vic

29/07/1943

Len

Thomas

South Melb

1927-38

Salamaua, New Guinea

17/08/1943

Henry

Thomson

Carlton

1930

POW, Thailand

21/05/1943

Keith

Truscott

Melbourne

1937-40; 1942

OAS at Exmouth, WA

28/03/1943

Jack

Wade

South Melb

1931-33

Lebanon

11/06/1941

Max

Wheeler

Hawthorn

1937

Syria

17/06/1941

Barney

Wood

Melbourne

1928

Litani River, Syria

10/06/1941

Gus

Young

Hawthorn

1939-40

Crete

29/05/1941

Jack

Zimmerman

Footscray

1937-39

Died OAS at Heidelberg Hispital

2/09/1944

Harold

Zucker

Hawthorn

1942

Died of illness, attributable to war service, aged 29

7/06/1947