Joe Slater

Born in Ballarat but raised in Geelong, Joe Slater was a multi-talented athlete who emerged from Geelong College to become one of the VFL's brightest stars. A champion sprinter, he utilised his blistering pace to devastating effect on the football field, establishing himself as the premier half-back flanker of the pre-war era. Slater was a dynamic defender who combined raw strength with the ability to fly for overhead marks and break lines with his running power. Known for his booming drop kicks, he could turn defence into attack in an instant, and while he was capable of playing through the midfield, he made the half-back line his own.

Slater's football journey was tragically cut short at its peak by the outbreak of World War I. After playing his final game in the 1914 Semi Final, he enlisted in the AIF, eventually rising to the rank of Captain while serving at Gallipoli and in France. He was killed in action at Bullecourt in 1917, robbing the game of a player widely considered to be entering his prime. His legacy at Geelong remains profound; remembered as a "soldier's athlete," he was posthumously inducted into the club's Hall of Fame and named in their Team of the Century, an enduring tribute to a champion who made the ultimate sacrifice.