Artie Henley
South Melbourne
AFL career
10 games1 goals
- Debut
- R9 1899 v FIT8 July 1899
- Most recent
- GF 1899 v FIT16 Sept 1899
Stats
Bio
A single-season player for South Melbourne, Artie Henley’s career is defined not by the games he played, but by the historic match he missed. Breaking into the senior side midway through the 1899 season, he quickly established himself as a regular fixture in the lineup, playing ten consecutive matches as South Melbourne made a surprise run through the sectional rounds. However, Henley is best remembered for his absence from the 1899 Grand Final against Fitzroy; historical accounts suggest that he and teammate Harry Purdy were "away from town" for the decider, perhaps having not anticipated the team's qualification for the final match. In his absence, South Melbourne fell to Fitzroy by just one point, leaving Henley as a permanent "what-if" footnote in one of the closest premiership finishes in VFL history.
Profile
- Born
- 14 Sept 1878
- Died
- 18 Apr 1941 (aged 62y 216d)
- Birthplace
- South Melbourne, VIC
- Deathplace
- Elwood, VIC
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA single-season player for South Melbourne, Artie Henley’s career is defined not by the games he played, but by the historic match he missed. Breaking into the senior side midway through the 1899 season, he quickly established himself as a regular fixture in the lineup, playing ten consecutive matches as South Melbourne made a surprise run through the sectional rounds. However, Henley is best remembered for his absence from the 1899 Grand Final against Fitzroy; historical accounts suggest that he and teammate Harry Purdy were "away from town" for the decider, perhaps having not anticipated the team's qualification for the final match. In his absence, South Melbourne fell to Fitzroy by just one point, leaving Henley as a permanent "what-if" footnote in one of the closest premiership finishes in VFL history.