Bert Chandler

Arriving at Hawthorn from South Camberwell, Bert Chandler was a versatile key position player who endured the Mayblooms' competitive struggles of the early 1930s before establishing himself as a genuine talent. His career is best defined by his unique movement between states and a sensational transfer controversy; after a 1936 stint captain-coaching Swan Districts in Perth, he returned to Victoria and became the target of a high-stakes trade. Melbourne was so eager to secure his services that they cleared three players—Bill Deague, Ken Feltscheer, and Gordon Waters—to Hawthorn in exchange for Chandler alone. Employed primarily as a full-back to anchor the Demons' defence, his single season at the club ended in misfortune when he contracted German measles on the eve of the finals, causing him to miss the semi-final before returning for a preliminary final loss. He subsequently returned to the WAFL to captain-coach South Fremantle, where he reinvented himself as a powerhouse full-forward, famously booting 120 goals in the 1938 season.