Charlie Stewart (footballer, born 1939) facts for kids
Charlie Stewart was an Australian rules football player and coach. He was known for playing with the Footscray Football Club in a league called the Victorian Football League (VFL). Charlie was also an Indigenous Australian. He was born on March 19, 1939, and passed away on October 29, 2024.
Quick facts for kids Charlie Stewart |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Charles Stewart | ||
| Date of birth | 19 March 1939 | ||
| Date of death | 29 October 2024 | ||
| Original team | Essendon reserves, Lemnos | ||
| Position(s) | Wingman | ||
Contents
Playing Football
Charlie started playing football with the Nathalia Football Club from 1955 to 1957. He then played for the Essendon Football Club's reserve team in 1957. After that, he played for the Lemnos Football Club.
Playing for Footscray
In April 1961, Charlie joined the Footscray Football Club. He played 20 games during the 1961 VFL season. He was a reserve player in the Footscray team that played in the 1961 VFL Grand Final. Footscray lost that final. Charlie left Footscray in April 1962.
Coaching Teams
After his playing career, Charlie became a coach. He was a playing coach for the Kyabram Football Club until the end of the 1966 season. A playing coach is someone who plays for the team and also coaches them. For the 1967 season, he moved to the Stanhope Football Club. He continued his role as a playing coach there.
Special Recognition
Charlie Stewart was honored for his contributions to football.
Indigenous Guernsey
On May 26, 2014, the Western Bulldogs football team designed a special Indigenous guernsey. A guernsey is a football jersey. This jersey featured the names of all 18 Indigenous players who had played for the club. Charlie Stewart was one of these players. The team wore this special guernsey on June 1, 2014, during their Indigenous round match against Fremantle.
Swapping Jumpers
After the 1961 Grand Final, players from the two teams often swapped their jerseys. Charlie swapped his guernsey with John Fisher, who played for the opposing team, Hawthorn. Years later, in 2012, Charlie found John Fisher's old guernsey while cleaning his house. He decided to donate it to the Hawthorn Football Club museum. The museum was very happy and said it was a "wonderful gesture." They also noted that the guernsey was in "mint condition," meaning it was like new.
