Laurie Shipp
North Melbourne
AFL career
33 games3 goals
- Debut
- R2 1949 v ESS23 Apr 1949
- Most recent
- R12 1951 v COL21 July 1951
Stats
Bio
A true local product born during the Depression, Laurie Shipp grew up above the Errol Street Post Office in the heart of North Melbourne territory before making his way to the VFL. Recruited back to the club after a stint as a cadet engineer in Yallourn, he was a tall, athletic follower for his era, standing 185cm and utilising a strong leap to compete in the ruck and up forward. Shipp holds a unique place in football history as the first VFL player to wear contact lenses during matches, an innovation that aided his safe handling and physical contest work. After 33 games over three seasons, his professional engineering career took priority, leading him back to the Latrobe Valley where he became a dominant country footballer for Yallourn.
Profile
- Born
- 27 Sept 1929
- Died
- 18 Apr 2020 (aged 90y 204d)
- Height
- 185 cm
- Weight
- 83 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA true local product born during the Depression, Laurie Shipp grew up above the Errol Street Post Office in the heart of North Melbourne territory before making his way to the VFL. Recruited back to the club after a stint as a cadet engineer in Yallourn, he was a tall, athletic follower for his era, standing 185cm and utilising a strong leap to compete in the ruck and up forward. Shipp holds a unique place in football history as the first VFL player to wear contact lenses during matches, an innovation that aided his safe handling and physical contest work. After 33 games over three seasons, his professional engineering career took priority, leading him back to the Latrobe Valley where he became a dominant country footballer for Yallourn.