Full name Harold Phillips Years Club Career start 1885 Position(s) Utility Died August 10, 1923 | Date of birth 1867 or 1868 Role Football player Nickname(s) Harry, Tick Name Harry Phillips Career end 1900 | |
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Date of death 10 August 1923 (aged 55) | ||
Harry 'Tick' Phillips (died 10 August 1923) was a champion player for the Port Adelaide Football Club. He is widely considered to be the club's greatest player of the nineteenth century. Phillips played sixteen seasons for Port Adelaide. For his final two seasons, he was appointed captain.
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Junior Football
In his early years Phillips played football for the Kingston Football Club in the South Australian Junior Football Association. In an 1885 post season summary of Kingston, the junior leagues premiership team, a local sports columnist described Phillips football ability as "[He] plays to perfection; takes everything cooly and marks well. One of the best all round men in the team."
Football career
Phillips made his debut for the Port Adelaide against South Adelaide at Alberton Oval in his clubs first fixture of the 1886 SAFA season. Phillips kicked his first goal for Port Adelaide the following week against Norwood at Alberton Oval. Phillips would go on to play all of Port Adelaide's 15 games in his debut season.
In 1888 during Round 8 against Medindie at Alberton Oval, Phillips kicked 5 goals. At the end of the 1888 SAFA season, Phillips would be awarded his first Port Adelaide best and fairest.
In 1889 Phillips injured his ankle during a football trip to Victoria. He would miss a large part of the season but would return for the clubs 13th SAFA match against Medindie and kick two goals.
In 1890, Phillips was a member of Port Adelaide's victorious Championship of Australia side who defeated South Melbourne for the national title.
Death
Harold Phillips died in Queenstown, South Australia. His funeral was attended by Norwood captain Alfred Waldron.