View source for Vic Belcher

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer, coach, and umpire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Vic Belcher
| image = Belcher-victor.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 
| fullname = Victor George Belcher
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1888|8|24}}
| birth_place = [[Launceston, Tasmania|Lebrina, near Launceston]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1977|1|3|1888|8|24}}
| death_place = [[Brunswick, Victoria|Brunswick]]
| originalteam = [[Brunswick Football Club|Brunswick]]
| height = 180 cm
| weight = 80 kg
| position = 
| statsend = 1920
| coachstatsend = 1927
| years1 = 1907–1920
| club1 = {{AFL SM}}
| games_goals1 = 226 (62)
| sooyears1 = 1919
| sooteam1 = [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]]
| soogames_goals1 = 2
| coachyears1 = 1914–1917
| coachclub1 = {{AFL SM}}
| coachgames_wins1 = 53 (30–21–1)
| coachyears2 = 1922–1924
| coachclub2 = {{AFL Fit}}
| coachgames_wins2 = 57 (37–19–1)
| coachyears3 = 1926–1927
| coachclub3 = {{AFL Fit}}
| coachgames_wins3 = 36 (12–23–1)
| coachgames_winstotal = 146 (80–63–3)
| umpireyears1 = 1921<br />1930
| umpireleague1 = [[Australian Football League|VFL]]<br />[[Australian Football League|VFL]]
| umpirerole1 = Boundary umpire<br />Boundary umpire
| umpiregames1 = 16<br />1
| careerhighlights = *{{AFL SM}} premiership player [[1909 VFL Grand Final|1909]], [[1918 VFL Grand Final|1918]]
*{{AFL Fit}} premiership coach [[1922 VFL Grand Final|1922]]
*{{AFL Syd}} Team of the Century
*{{AFL SM}} captain 1913–1915, 1917, 1920
*[[Australian Football Hall of Fame]] 1996
}}

'''Victor George Belcher''' (24 August 1888 &ndash;  3 January 1977) was an [[Australian rules football]]er, coach and umpire in the (then) [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]].

==Early life and family==

Belcher was born at Hall's Track (now known as Lebrina)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201179286 |title=Lebrina. |newspaper=[[The Colonist (Launceston)|The Colonist]] |volume=III |issue=XLIX |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=6 December 1890 |access-date=26 August 2018 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> north east of [[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]] to William (a labourer) and Isabella Mary Belcher (née Mitchell). The family moved around Tasmania at the time, there having been two elder brothers born at New Norfolk, Allan (b 1884), and Albert Victor (b & d 1887) and in 1890 another brother Gabriel Lawrence was born at Formby (now Devonport). The family then moved to Victoria and in 1893 the birth of another brother Ernest Staley was registered in the Brunswick area of Melbourne.<ref>https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj Victoria BDMs 20106/1893</ref>

==Playing career==
By the time Vic was seventeen years old he was still in the [[Brunswick, Victoria|Brunswick]] area where he  played for both All Stars and [[Coburg Football Club|Coburg]] (VJFA) before joining his brother, [[Allan Belcher|Allan]], at Brunswick Football Club in August 1905.<ref>{{harvtxt|Fiddian|2009|p=16}}</ref>

Immediately successful as a defender, Belcher was selected in the back-pocket to represent the [[Victorian Football Association|VFA]] in 1906 when they played the Bendigo and Northern District Association.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sporting|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89518674|access-date=24 December 2013|newspaper=The Argus|date=30 August 1906}}</ref> That year he shared club's the best defender trophy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brunswick Football Club|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66894448|access-date=24 December 2013|newspaper=Coburg Leader|date=16 March 1907|page=3}}</ref> He was recruited by [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] secretary Bert Howson and debuted for them in round 1, 1907.<ref>{{harvtxt|Fiddian|2009|p=20}}</ref> Despite residing in Brunswick, Belcher chose South because he supported them as a youth and cycled to the Lake Oval to train and play.<ref>{{harvtxt|Main|2009|p=41}}</ref>

South made the [[1907 VFL Grand Final|1907 grand final]] but lost to [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]]. Belcher began in defence but was moved to the ruck in the second quarter where he performed creditably.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carlton premiers|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10160371|access-date=28 December 2013|newspaper=The Argus|date=23 September 1907|page=4}}</ref> This match was an early indicator of Belcher's career. He was a tireless ruckman who could also play in a key position.  South were premiers in 1909 and Belcher rucked the whole match.

In 1913 Belcher was elected South's captain, a position he would hold until 1917 and again in 1920. He had been stand-in captain in the 1912 semi-final against his brother's Essendon side and as a result they became the first brother's to not only  captain opposing sides, but to also play on each other during the match. Essendon were victors.<ref>{{cite book|title=Grand finals : the stories behind the premier teams of the Victorian Football League. Volume 1, 1897-1938|year=2011|publisher=Slattery Media Group|location=Docklands, Vic.|isbn=9781921778322|page=164|editor=Browne, Ashley}}</ref> Two weeks later they met again in the grand final but not as captains as [[Charlie Ricketts]] had returned from injury. South lost again and not until [[2013 AFL Grand Final|2013]], did brothers face each other in a grand final.<ref>{{cite web|last=Collins|first=Ben|title=The Belcher brothers: a grand, tragic tale|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-25/belcher-brothers|publisher=AFL|access-date=28 December 2013|date=25 September 2013}}</ref>

Belcher was appointed South Melbourne captain-coach from 1914 to 1915 and 1917, losing the [[1914 VFL Grand Final|1914 grand final]] and finishing fifth and seventh in the other seasons. South had withdrawn from the VFL in 1916 at the height of the First World War.

As vice-captain in 1918 Belcher won his second premiership with South and enhanced his reputation as a good finals player. Collingwood led by 12 points at the final break of the [[1918 VFL Grand Final|grand final]] but South switched Belcher from defence to the ruck and he was instrumental in a comeback that saw South win by five points.<ref>{{harvtxt|Main|2009|p=71}}</ref> Until [[2012 AFL Grand Final|2012]] he was the only person in VFL/AFL history to win two premierships with the South Melbourne Swans.

Belcher represented Victoria against South Australia twice in 1919, both times he was elected captain.<ref>{{cite news|title=Interstate football|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62310779|access-date=29 December 2013|newspaper=The Register (Adelaide)|date=1 August 1919|page=6}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Interstate football|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62314576|access-date=29 December 2013|newspaper=The Register (Adelaide)|date=4 July 1919|page=8}}</ref>

Upon his retirement at the end of the 1920 season [[Jack Worrall]] assessed his career: <blockquote>When he began playing senior football, Belcher was a ruckman, being as fine a performer in that position as any man playing. In his latter years he has been a noted defender, his coolness, judgement, fine marking qualities and dash making him an ideal back man and captain. Like the vast majority of champions Belcher has been fairness personified. He possesses fine spring and determination, was a hard man to beat and was a manly opponent<ref>{{harvtxt|Main|2009|p=76}}</ref></blockquote>

In 1996, Belcher was inducted into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]] and in 2003 was named in the [[Sydney Swans#Team of the century|Sydney Swans Team of the Century]].  He was the last survivor of the [[1909 VFL grand final|1909 premiership team]].

Belcher is one of only five dual South Melbourne/Sydney Swans premiership players, the other four being [[Jude Bolton]], [[Adam Goodes]], [[Ryan O'Keefe]] and [[Lewis Roberts-Thomson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/2018-02-19/premiership-stars-inducted|title=Premiership stars inducted into Hall of Fame|publisher=Sydney Swans|date=19 February 2018|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>

==Coaching career==

As a playing-coach, Belcher guided South Melbourne in 53 matches. After a single season as an umpire in 1921 he was appointed coach of [[Fitzroy Football Club]] in 1922 and led them to that season's [[1922 VFL Grand Final|premiership]]. He continued in 1923–24, finishing second and third, respectively.

Having received a playing clearance from South Melbourne, he was recruited by [[South Launceston Football Club|City Football Club]] in the Launceston-based NTFA competition for the 1925 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Football|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90829784|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=The Examiner (Launceston)|date=2 April 1925|page=8}}</ref> Belcher played regularly until a groin injury in a representative match ended his on-field season. City finished third for the season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Belcher returns to Melbourne|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91679453|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=Examiner (Launceston)|date=11 September 1925|page=7}}</ref>

Belcher returned to Melbourne as non-playing coach of Fitzroy from 1926 to 1927; then, he moved to a junior team, East Brunswick, as playing-coach in 1928.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davie|first=B.J|title=Victorian football|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127900520|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=The referee (Sydney)|date=21 March 1928|page=13}}</ref>

After a year on the committee, Belcher was appointed non-playing coach at Brunswick in 1932.

==Umpiring career==

Belcher had two stints as an umpire with the VFL and a single season with the VFA.

In 1921, he applied for a position as an umpire with the VFL. He was accepted and made his debut as a boundary umpire in round two's Melbourne versus Collingwood match earning Heritage Number 134. Belcher umpired 16 VFL matches during the season, all on the boundary, and was appointed to the [[1921 VFL Grand Final]]. He returned to coaching the following season.

In 1928, Belcher trialled as a boundary umpire for the VFL but was unsuccessful and instead field umpired in the VFA seconds for the season.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davie|first=B.J.|title=Vic. footballers in form|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136211767|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=Referee (Sydney)|date=10 April 1929|page=13}}</ref> He trialled again in 1930 and was placed on the VFL list as a field umpire. As a country field umpire he officiated in 14 matches for the season. He was appointed to the Benalla-Mulwala Association grand final which became a particularly violent match. It degenerated to a series of melees in the second half, although no blame was attached to Belcher.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rough football|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4106355|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=The Argus|date=18 August 1930|page=9}}</ref>

During this period the VFL appointed one field umpire to senior matches as a boundary umpire in case of emergency. In this capacity Belcher officiated in his final senior match in round 5, 1930—Geelong versus Carlton.

After being elected to a committee position with the Brunswick Football Club in January 1931 Belcher umpired only a single country match that season before retiring from umpiring for the final time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brunswick nominations|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4248995|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=The Argus|date=17 January 1931|page=15}}</ref><ref>Flegg, David. Records. Accessed 1 January 2014. Microsoft Access database.</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

* {{cite book|last=Fiddian|first=Marc|title=Moulded from clay : a history of the Brunswick Football Club / .|year=2009|publisher=Racoon Tail Books|location=Forest Hill, Victoria|isbn=9780980561814}}
* {{cite book|last=Main|first=Jim|title=In the blood : celebrating the red & white 1874 - 2009|year=2009|publisher=Bas Publishing|location=Seaford, Vic.|isbn=9781921496011}} 
* {{cite book |last=Ross |first=John |title=The Australian Football Hall of Fame |year=1999 |publisher=HarperCollinsPublishers |location=Australia |isbn=0-7322-6426-X |pages=39ref={{harvid|Ross|1999}}}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{AFL Tables}}
*{{AFL Tables coach ID}}
* [http://aflua.com.au/statistics/boundary-umpire-statistics/ Belchers umpire statistics] at AFLUA

{{1909 South Melbourne premiership players}}
{{1918 South Melbourne premiership players}}
{{1922 Fitzroy premiership players}}
{{Sydney Swans captains}}
{{Sydney Swans coaches}}
{{Fitzroy Football Club coaches}}
{{Sydney Swans Team of The Century}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belcher, Vic}}
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1977 deaths]]
[[Category:Sydney Swans players]]
[[Category:Sydney Swans premiership players]]
[[Category:Sydney Swans coaches]]
[[Category:Fitzroy Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Fitzroy Football Club premiership coaches]]
[[Category:Brunswick Football Club players]]
[[Category:City-South Football Club players]]
[[Category:City-South Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Australian Football League umpires]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Victorian Football Association umpires]]
[[Category:Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership coaches]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Tasmania]]
[[Category:People from Brunswick, Victoria]]