Bob Walker

Recruited from VFA club Footscray following a stint with Hawthorn in the metropolitan juniors, Bob Walker was a reliable ruckman who became a consistent figure in the Essendon lineup just before the First World War. His football journey was paused by service with the 28th Battalion, forcing him to miss three full seasons between 1916 and 1918 while he was deployed overseas. Standing 180cm—a standard height for followers of the era—he returned to East Melbourne after the conflict to add experience to the side's on-ball division for two final campaigns. His career concluded with a minor controversy in 1920 when he and teammate Jim Collins were briefly suspended by the club for disciplinary reasons, though both players were reinstated after offering formal apologies.