Ern Cowley
Carlton
AFL career
24 games51 goals
- Debut
- R1 1918 v COL11 May 1918
- Most recent
- R14 1919 v MEL16 Aug 1919
Stats
Bio
Arriving at Princes Park from neighbouring VFA outfit Brunswick, Ern Cowley produced one of the most immediate impacts in league history. He established himself instantly as a potent spearhead, topping the VFL goalkicking table with 35 majors in his debut 1918 season—a rare individual accolade for a first-year player. Despite this rapid ascent, his top-flight career was surprisingly brief, and he played just one more season for the Blues before returning to the Association to represent Prahran. While his on-field tenure was short, Cowley left a unique legacy off the field as a respected journalist for the Sporting Globe and the creator of "Austus," a hybrid code of football designed to facilitate matches between Australians and American servicemen during the Second World War.
Profile
- Born
- 17 Aug 1892
- Died
- 20 Oct 1975 (aged 83y 64d)
- Birthplace
- Brunswick East, VIC
- Deathplace
- Ivanhoe, VIC
- Height
- 178 cm
- Weight
- 72 kg
Teams
Honours
- Leading Goalkicker Medal1918
Bio
1 revisionArriving at Princes Park from neighbouring VFA outfit Brunswick, Ern Cowley produced one of the most immediate impacts in league history. He established himself instantly as a potent spearhead, topping the VFL goalkicking table with 35 majors in his debut 1918 season—a rare individual accolade for a first-year player. Despite this rapid ascent, his top-flight career was surprisingly brief, and he played just one more season for the Blues before returning to the Association to represent Prahran. While his on-field tenure was short, Cowley left a unique legacy off the field as a respected journalist for the Sporting Globe and the creator of "Austus," a hybrid code of football designed to facilitate matches between Australians and American servicemen during the Second World War.