Les Primrose

Hailing from Ballarat, Les Primrose was a talented athlete who arrived at the VFL via the Golden Point Football Club. Moving to the city to pursue qualifications as a teacher, he balanced his studies with football, donning the black V for University across two seasons starting in 1912. While his senior career was brief—restricted to just 16 games—he was regarded as a consistent competitor who later returned to local football with Caledonian in 1914. Like many of "The Students," Primrose’s story is defined by his service during the Great War; rather than serving in the trenches like many of his contemporaries, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps, becoming a Lieutenant in No. 2 Squadron. His life was tragically cut short in June 1918 when he was killed in a flying accident near Clermont, France, cementing his place among the fallen soldiers of the VFL.