Albert Thurgood

Early life

Born on 11 January 1874 at Errol Street, North Melbourne, to John Thurgood, a builder and Amelia, née Buckland. After his education at Brighton Grammar School, he joined the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).

VFA

Thurgood played for Essendon in the VFA (1892–94) and played in three of its four successive premierships (1891–94).

At six feet tall (183 cm) and twelve stone (76.2 kg), Thurgood possessed qualities that made him a versatile key position player: he was extraordinarily fast, a superb mark, and very nimble and agile.

His greatest asset was his kicking. Usually playing at centre half-forward, he could regularly kick distances up to 65-70 yards and beyond.

Thurgood kicked 64 goals in 1893 and 63 in 1894, and in an 1893 game against Richmond scored twelve of Essendon's fourteen goals, extraordinary feats giving the low scoring of the era. He played 57 VFA games for Essendon and kicked 183 goals.

Western Australia

In 1895 he left Essendon to seek work in Western Australia and played for the Fremantle Football Club (not connected to the current club of the same name) in the Western Australian Football Association (WAFA). During his stint there he topped the WAFA goal kicking list on three consecutive occasions between 1895 and 1897, helping the side lift premierships in the first two of those years.

VFL

He returned to Victoria in 1898 and sought to resume his career with Essendon in the newly formed Victorian Football League (VFL later AFL) but the VFL denied him a permit for residential reasons. Forced to sit out of football in 1898, he finally took the field for Essendon in 1899 and headed the club's goalkicking list in 1900 (25) and 1902 (33). While contemporaries noted that Thurgood was slower, heavier and less keen, he produced his finest performance in the 1901 VFL Grand Final against Collingwood when he kicked three of the side's six goals and was a major contributor to Essendon's victory. The same year he supposedly won Essendon's Club Champion award.

In 1902 there were widespread allegations that he had 'laid down' against Collingwood in the challenge final, which Essendon lost by the heavy margin for the time of 33 points. In disgust, Thurgood demanded, and was refused, a clearance to the Magpies, whereupon he decided to retire. He was tempted back to Essendon four years later, but after playing eight games he was forced to retire permanently when he sustained a serious ankle injury.

Personal life

Thurgood married Ida Alma Mary Thomas at Fairfield on 26 April 1899.

He was a better than average cricketer – managing three first XI matches for the North Melbourne Cricket Club during the 1890s – and golfer. After his retirement from football Thurgood became active in horse-racing, for some years as a bookmaker and subsequently as an owner. He ran a number of successful horses, including Amazonia which won the Bagot Handicap in 1921 and was placed third in the Melbourne Cup that year.

Thurgood died in 1927 as the result of a car accident and was buried with Anglican rites in Brighton Cemetery. His wife and two daughters survived him.

In 1996 Thurgood was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He was named in the Essendon Team of the Century which was selected in their VFL/AFL centenary year of 1997. In 2004 he was inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame.

He is also a relative of former Hawthorn player Josh Thurgood. Albert is Josh's great-great-uncle.