View source for Bluey Adams

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (1935–2019)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Bluey Adams
| image = Frank "Bluey" Adams.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|6|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = 
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|8|11|1935|6|12|df=y}}
| death_place = 
| debutdate = 1953
| debutteam = Melbourne
| debutopponent = North Melbourne
| debutstadium = [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]
| height = 168 cm
| weight = 76 kg
| position = 
| statsend = 1964
| years1 = 1953–1964
| club1 = [[Melbourne Football Club|Melbourne]]
| games_goals1 = 164 (180)
| careerhighlights = *6× [[Australian Football League|VFL]] premierships: [[1955 VFL Grand Final|1955]], [[1956 VFL Grand Final|1956]], [[1957 VFL Grand Final|1957]], [[1959 VFL Grand Final|1959]], [[1960 VFL Grand Final|1960]], [[1964 VFL Grand Final|1964]]
*{{AFL Mel}} Team of the Century–<small>interchange</small>
*[[Melbourne Football Club#Hall of Fame|Melbourne Hall of Fame]]
}}

'''Frank Adams''' (12 June 1935 – 11 August 2019), known as '''Bluey Adams''', was an [[Australian rules football]] player, who played in the [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]] (VFL) for the [[Melbourne Football Club]].

==Football==
His prime positions were in the [[forward pocket]], where he was a regular, damaging goal-kicker, and as a rover and a wing-man, where he was able to use his great pace to advantage in the open spaces of the MCG.  He was one of the fortunate few Melbourne players to be part of all six premierships the club gained during its ten 'golden years' from 1955 to 1964.

==Statistics==
:<ref name=afltables>{{cite web|title=Frank Adams|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/F/Frank_Adams.html|work=AFL Tables|access-date=7 October 2024}}</ref>
{{Australian rules football statistics legend|p=y}}
{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}
|-
| [[1953 VFL season|1953]] || {{AFL Mel}} || 41
| 4 || 5 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.3 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0
|-
| [[1954 VFL season|1954]] || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 18 || 20 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.1 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1
|-
| bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1955 VFL season|1955]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 16 || 9 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0.6 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1
|-
| bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1956 VFL season|1956]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 7 || 3 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0.4 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0
|-
| bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1957 VFL season|1957]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 14 || 17 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.2 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 6
|-
| [[1958 VFL season|1958]] || {{AFL Mel}} || 6,17
| 13 || 13 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.0 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0
|-
| bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1959 VFL season|1959]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 17 || 25 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.5 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0
|-
| bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1960 VFL season|1960]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 13 || 16 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.2 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 3
|-
| [[1961 VFL season|1961]] || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 13 || 23 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.8 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 4
|-
| [[1962 VFL season|1962]] || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 16 || 30 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.9 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 3
|-
| [[1963 VFL season|1963]] || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 18 || 18 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.0 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 2
|-
| bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1964 VFL season|1964]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Mel}} || 6
| 15 || 1 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0.1 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 3
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3 | Career
! 164 !! 180 !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! 1.1 !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! 23
|}

==Athletics==
Adams was a national champion professional sprinter. Adams won the 1957, 75 yards/130 yards Gift double at Cobram then a week later won the Lilydale Gift<ref>Lilydale Gift  – The Age 4 March 1957</ref> (130 yds) before running second in the 1957 Bendigo Thousand (130 yds).

After running second in the Maryborough Gift, Adams won the 1958 Ararat Gift off a handicap of 3 yards in 12.3 seconds. He rounded off the year winning the South Melbourne and 1958 Canberra Gifts.<ref>{{cite web |title=1958 - Canberra Gift |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91244349 |newspaper=Canberra Times |date=3 March 1958 |publisher=The Canberra Times Newspaper}}</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L1FVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3632%2C446334 Bluey Adams Runs Nine "In", ''The Age'', (Monday, 3 March 1958), p.18.]</ref>

In November 1958, Adams ran a superb time of 43.8 seconds for 400 yards on a wet grass track at South Melbourne,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=HasUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T7MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3537,4105749&dq=victorian+athletic+league&hl=en|title = The Age - Google News Archive Search}}</ref>

Adams won the 1959 Australian sprint title before losing the title in 1960 to Terry Clarke, before retiring from athletics at the age of 25.<ref>Professional Athletics in Australia, Percy Mason, Rigby publishers (1985) page 113.</ref>

==Death==
Adams died age 84 on 11 August 2019 from cancer.<ref>[https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-12/man-behind-games-most-brutal-collision-loses-battle-with-cancer Man behind game's 'most brutal collision' loses battle with cancer]</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Mason, Percy (1985). Professional Athletics in Australia. Adelaide: Rigby Publishers, p 113. {{ISBN|0-7270-2040-4}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{AFL Tables|ref=F/Frank_Adams.html}}
*{{AustralianFootball|ref=rank%2Badams/8324}}
*[http://demonwiki.org/Frank+Adams DemonWiki profile]

{{Melbourne Football Club Team of the Century}}
{{1955–57 1959–60 Melbourne premiership players}}
{{1964 Melbourne premiership players}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Bluey}}
[[Category:Melbourne Football Club players]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian male sprinters]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Australia]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:Melbourne Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]


{{AFL-bio-1930s-stub}}