Dave Cumming

Born in South Australia but raised in the West, Derwas "Dave" Cumming was a prodigious talent who debuted for Perth in the WAFL at just 15 years of age while still attending Christian Brothers' College. He moved to Victoria in 1911 to pursue his studies at the University of Melbourne, instantly becoming a key avenue to goal for the struggling Students in the VFL. Playing primarily as a half-forward, Cumming provided a rare consistent scoring threat for the amateur side, finishing as the club’s second-leading goalkicker in both 1911 and 1912. His standout performance came in the final round of his debut season, where he booted five of University's seven goals in a lone hand against Geelong. Cumming returned to the WAFL in 1914 before enlisting in the AIF, where he served with distinction as a Captain and was awarded a Military Cross and Bar before being killed in action in France in 1918.