Ralph Eldridge Roebuck Upton MC (8 June 1885 – 1 May 1981) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[2]
| Ralph Upton | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Ralph Eldridge Roebuck Upton | ||
| Date of birth | 8 June 1885 | ||
| Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia[1] | ||
| Date of death | 1 May 1981 (aged 95) | ||
| Place of death | Castle Hill, New South Wales | ||
| Height | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1907 | Geelong | 1 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1907. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Upton made his only senior football appearance for Geelong in a game against South Melbourne in 1907,[3] while he was completing his law degree at the University of Melbourne. He was admitted to practice law on 10 March 1909.
After being rejected for service by the Australian Army,[4] he travelled to England and joined the Inns of Court detachment before being transferred to the 8th Hampshire Regiment. Ralph Upton received a Military Cross for “conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in leading his platoon, and more especially in collecting men of other units and leading them into heavy fire to fill a gap in the line. Throughout the day he continued, by his courage, to set a magnificent example to all troops, until he fell severely wounded”.[5]
After the war Upton returned to Australia and married Vera Loris Berteau in 1924. He was also admitted to practice in New South Wales in 1924 and practised in several rural New South Wales localities.[6] He died in 1981.[7]
Notes
edit- ^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Vol. L, no. 12, 035. South Australia. 10 June 1885. p. 4.
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 903. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
- ^ "GEELONG v. SOUTH MELBOURNE". Geelong Advertiser. No. 18, 771. Geelong, Victoria. 4 June 1907. p. 4.
- ^ "LIEUT. RALPH UPTON SUCCEEDS". Winner. No. 114. Victoria, Australia. 27 September 1916. p. 8.
- ^ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE" (PDF). London Gazette. 26 July 1918.
- ^ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 27, 009. New South Wales, Australia. 29 July 1924. p. 3.
- ^ "UPTON, Ralph Eldridge Roebuck" (PDF). Supreme Court of Victoria.
External links
edit- Ralph Upton's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Ralph Upton at AustralianFootball.com