Jim Thoms

A dual-sport standout, Jim Thoms was an Australian table tennis champion who transferred his elite reflexes and footwork to the football field for Footscray. Recruited from local side Combines, he established himself as a speedy, skilled rover in the Bulldogs' famous "mosquito fleet" of the late 1930s. While a consistent performer in the VFL, his most famous footballing moment occurred during a brief stint in the SANFL in 1945. Playing for West Torrens on a war-time permit, Thoms kicked a match-winning goal in the Semi Final after the siren had actually sounded; the umpire failed to hear the bell, the goal was allowed to stand, and Thoms went on to play in a premiership victory for the Eagles.

Thoms returned to Footscray for a final swansong in 1946, where he was reinvented as a dangerous small forward. It proved to be his most prolific campaign, as he booted 50 goals for the year, including bags of six against Geelong and Hawthorn. In a poetic finish to his tenure at the Western Oval, he reached the 100-goal milestone in his final match, a semi-final loss to Melbourne. His sporting legacy extended to his family, with his brother George becoming a rare dual-elite athlete who played VFL football for Essendon and Test cricket for Australia.