SOMERVILLE, John

John Somerville was a fine half-forward from Moe. He had height, was deceptively fast, and was one of the longest kicks in the game. Some of his best games were at centre half-forward when Ken Fraser was out. He won the Best Team Man award in 1963.

Somerville played on the half-forward flank in the 1962 premiership team but missed the 1965 victory through sensational circumstances. During the Preliminary Final against Collingwood, he was found lying unconscious on the half-forward flank when the play was well down the field. Some suggested he must have fainted as he was a quiet, unassuming player who never indulged in rough play, but most Essendon supporters at the game thought otherwise and roundly booed Collingwood's Duncan Wright for the rest of the game. No charges were ever laid over the incident but Collingwood dropped Wright from its list at the end of 1965 and he never played VFL football again. The field umpire, Ron Brophy, claimed he didn't see anything, but he too never umpired again.

Many years later, Wright finally admitted that he had indeed struck Somerville.

Somerville was appointed captain-coach of Numurkah in 1968 and 1969 before retiring to concentrate on his farm. He returned to football in 1982 and 1983 when he coached Newborough.

His son, Peter, played 160 games for Essendon as a ruckman (1988-1999).

John Somerville died from a brain tumour on 12th November, 1984.