Bobby Royle
Melbourne
AFL career
3 games0 goals
- Debut
- R1 1898 v STK14 May 1898
- Most recent
- R3 1898 v COL24 May 1898
Stats
Bio
Born in Liverpool and brought to Australia as a toddler, Bobby Royle was a fleeting talent who played a brief cameo in the VFL’s second season. He broke into the Melbourne lineup as a teenager in 1898, immediately establishing himself as a dashing defender with exceptional straight-line speed. Contemporary reports from his short career highlighted a spectacular play against Carlton where he sprinted with the ball for half the length of the MCG, a rare feat for a backman of that era. Despite featuring in three consecutive victories to start his career, Royle lost his place in the side and unsuccessfully attempted to cross to Collingwood mid-season, never adding to his senior tally. His life ended in tragic circumstances on the Western Front, where he was killed in action near Gueudecourt while serving with the AIF in 1916.
Profile
- Born
- 24 Aug 1878
- Died
- 03 Nov 1916 (aged 38y 71d)
- Birthplace
- Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
- Deathplace
- Gueudecourt, France
Teams
Bio
1 revisionBorn in Liverpool and brought to Australia as a toddler, Bobby Royle was a fleeting talent who played a brief cameo in the VFL’s second season. He broke into the Melbourne lineup as a teenager in 1898, immediately establishing himself as a dashing defender with exceptional straight-line speed. Contemporary reports from his short career highlighted a spectacular play against Carlton where he sprinted with the ball for half the length of the MCG, a rare feat for a backman of that era. Despite featuring in three consecutive victories to start his career, Royle lost his place in the side and unsuccessfully attempted to cross to Collingwood mid-season, never adding to his senior tally. His life ended in tragic circumstances on the Western Front, where he was killed in action near Gueudecourt while serving with the AIF in 1916.