Dave Gillespie

Born at the Melbourne Zoo where his father worked as a keeper, Dave Gillespie was the twin brother of Carlton premiership champion Doug Gillespie. While his brother forged a legendary career in the Blues' backline, Dave’s own tenure at Princes Park was cut short by bad luck; he debuted in 1907 but suffered a broken collarbone in just his second match, restricting him to a handful of senior appearances over two seasons. Seeking regular football, he transferred to Brunswick in the VFA, where he established himself as a reliable defender and eventually rose to the vice-captaincy. A police constable in civilian life, Gillespie enlisted for service in the First World War and was deployed to the Western Front, where he sustained severe spinal injuries from shrapnel at Armentières in 1916. He was repatriated to Australia but never recovered, tragically dying of his wounds in a Caulfield hospital in 1917.