John Bell
Geelong
AFL career
18 games1 goals
- Debut
- R8 1906 v COL30 June 1906
- Most recent
- R16 1908 v CAR8 Aug 1908
Stats
Bio
Born into a prominent pastoral family and educated at Geelong Grammar, John Bell was a talented all-round sportsman who rowed in the school's First VIII before making his mark on the football field. He joined Geelong in 1906, establishing himself as a reliable defender who used his strength and discipline to shut down opposition forwards. His football career was brief and interrupted—he missed the entire 1907 season, likely due to his commitments as a grazier at his family's 'Wurrock' property and his rowing pursuits with the Barwon Rowing Club—but returned in 1908 to complete his tenure with the Pivotonians. Bell's legacy extends far beyond the boundary line; he enlisted in the First AIF in 1914 and became a pioneer aviator with the Australian Flying Corps, rising to the rank of Captain before dying of wounds sustained during aerial combat over France in 1917.
Profile
- Born
- 07 Oct 1886
- Died
- 27 Dec 1917 (aged 31y 81d)
- Birthplace
- Geelong, Victoria
- Deathplace
- Tincourt, France
Teams
Bio
1 revisionBorn into a prominent pastoral family and educated at Geelong Grammar, John Bell was a talented all-round sportsman who rowed in the school's First VIII before making his mark on the football field. He joined Geelong in 1906, establishing himself as a reliable defender who used his strength and discipline to shut down opposition forwards. His football career was brief and interrupted—he missed the entire 1907 season, likely due to his commitments as a grazier at his family's 'Wurrock' property and his rowing pursuits with the Barwon Rowing Club—but returned in 1908 to complete his tenure with the Pivotonians. Bell's legacy extends far beyond the boundary line; he enlisted in the First AIF in 1914 and became a pioneer aviator with the Australian Flying Corps, rising to the rank of Captain before dying of wounds sustained during aerial combat over France in 1917.