Collingwood History

[LaurieHolden]

Just reading about Bill Twomey Sr., a member of our 1919 Premiership Side.

Three of his four sons Mick, Pat, and Bill, and his grandson, David Twomey – the son of his fourth son, Peter – all played league football with Collingwood.

Twomey possessed exceptional pace and was thus used mainly as a wingman although he also played occasionally as a centreman and half-back. In five seasons with Collingwood, he played 54 games, including their 1919 premiership as well as in three losing grand finals. He represented Victoria in an interstate match against South Australia in 1921.

After leaving Collingwood at the end of the 1922 season to concentrate on an athletics career, Twomey had success as a sprinter winning the 1924 Stawell Gift. He later turned to football, joining Hawthorn in 1933 as captain-coach.
Twomey took over the Hawthorn Captaincy in 1933, replacing Fred Phillips who passed away before the season started.
Fred Phillips, also one of St Kilda’s best-ever footballers, died in the most tragic circumstances at the age of 27 years.

Then curious as to the cause of Fred Phillips death ~

The only intimation anybody had that Phillips was not well was a statement that he did not train on Tuesday evening because he was feeling the effects of an injury to a foot sustained in a practice match the previous day.


Of the numerous extracts which carried the sad news, perhaps ‘The Referee’ provided the best insight into the events that led to Fred’s demise …

“The only intimation anybody had that Phillips was not well was a statement that he did not train on the Tuesday evening because he was feeling the effects of an injury to a foot sustained in a practice match the previous day. This injury, and a slight chill, kept Phillips to his bed on Wednesday. On the following day, serious symptoms appeared and made alarming progress. Despite all that the best medical attention could do, Phillips failed to rally. The cause of death was pneumonia, on which septicemia supervened.” April 26th, 1933

“…Went to Hawthorn as captain-coach in 1933 but dye from his Hawthorn jumper ran into a cut on his elbow and he died of blood poisoning on 21 April 1933.”
It is known that, among the various clothing dyes used in earlier times, there were some colouring agents regarded as toxic if ingested or happened to enter the bloodstream (via an open wound, etc. ). The fact that Fred had a boil may also explain the cause of his tragic death through septicemia (aka sepsis).

Various newspaper articles are posted from the time, to what can only be described as a tragic and untimely death.

http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/article126-Fred-Phillips-The-Tragic-Tale-Of-A-True-Champion#THE_TRAGIC_DEATH_OF_FRED_PHILLIPS

[Woods]

Just had a quick look online at the probate index for Frederick R Philipps who died 4 Apr 1933.
He was a Manufacturing Chemist of East St Kilda. It may have been a family concern because two years earlier a Frederick J E Phillips (the father of the footballer?), also a Manufacturing Chemist of East St Kilda, died on 13 Aug 1931.
The speculative newspaper reports of the cause of death given in the linked article were written shortly after the footballer's death. However a more conclusive cause of death would have been determined from the autopsy and follow up coronial inquest which would have been held (this inquest probably happened before 6 July 1933 when administration was granted on his estate). Unfortunately, the inquest deposition files available online only go up to 1924.

[Woods]

Yes, it seems that it was a family business. The funeral notice in the Melbourne Herald (22 Apr 1933 p.19) says that he was the 27 year old "elder son of the late Fred. J E Phillips".