Clyde Helmer

Recruited from Mooroopna in northern Victoria, Clyde Helmer moved to Geelong not just for football but to work as an engineer at the local Ford factory. He made an immediate impression as a potent forward, capable of launching torpedo punts on either foot, and quickly established himself as a key target in the Pivot’s attack. After playing in the club's reserves premiership in 1937, he broke out in his second senior season to top Geelong's goalkicking in 1938 with 74 majors, a year that included an eight-goal haul against Fitzroy and eventual selection for Victoria. The outbreak of World War II severely disrupted his prime years; when Geelong went into recess in 1942 due to travel restrictions, Helmer briefly crossed to Melbourne, managing two games while on leave from military service. His story ended in tragedy during the final months of the war when, serving as a bomb disposal officer in New Guinea, he was killed by an exploding shell, leaving behind a legacy as one of the era's great lost talents.