SLOSS, Bruce

Bruce Sloss was a fine follower from the Essendon District, although he was only slightly built and not powerful.

He played in three games with Essendon in 1907 and 1908 before joining Brighton in 1909 and 1910. He then requested a clearance to South Melbourne, which Essendon refused. In mid-1910 he successfully appealed to the League which granted his clearance to South Melbourne where he became a champion. He played 81 games there between 1910 and 1914 and was a member of the 1914 Victorian Carnival team.

He joined the Army at the outbreak of World War I and became a Lieutenant in the 10th Company Australian Machine Gun Corps. He captained the AIF Third Division in the famous "Pioneer Exhibition Game" in London in 1916 between the Third Division and the Combined Training Units. Two other Essendon players were involved: Bill Sewart played for the Third Division and Clyde Donaldson played for the Combined Training Units. A brief newsreel film was made of the game.

Sloss was killed in action in France on the 4th January 1917, aged 28 years, when a stray German artillery shell landed at his feet and showered him with shrapnel. He is buried in the Bonjean Military Cemetery in Armentieres.