Ralph Shalless
Hawthorn and Melbourne
AFL career
21 games6 goals
- Debut
- R14 1943 v FIT14 Aug 1943
- Most recent
- R10 1949 v GEE18 June 1949
Stats
Bio
Born in Hobart, Ralph Shalless was a solidly built utility who worked his way through the Melbourne seconds to make his senior debut during the war-affected 1943 season. His momentum was halted by service with both the Army and RAAF, costing him the prime years of 1944 and 1945, but he returned to the Demons as a reserves vice-captain in 1946. Seeking greater opportunity and leadership experience, Shalless spent 1947 captain-coaching University in the Sunraysia Football League, where he enjoyed a stellar campaign that included a premiership and the league Best and Fairest. This form earned him a VFL lifeline with Hawthorn in 1948, where he added valuable experience to the lineup for two seasons before finishing his career as a decorated captain-coach in the Gippsland region.
Profile
- Born
- 28 Jan 1923
- Died
- 27 Oct 2006 (aged 83y 272d)
- Birthplace
- Hobart, TAS
- Height
- 178 cm
- Weight
- 89 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionBorn in Hobart, Ralph Shalless was a solidly built utility who worked his way through the Melbourne seconds to make his senior debut during the war-affected 1943 season. His momentum was halted by service with both the Army and RAAF, costing him the prime years of 1944 and 1945, but he returned to the Demons as a reserves vice-captain in 1946. Seeking greater opportunity and leadership experience, Shalless spent 1947 captain-coaching University in the Sunraysia Football League, where he enjoyed a stellar campaign that included a premiership and the league Best and Fairest. This form earned him a VFL lifeline with Hawthorn in 1948, where he added valuable experience to the lineup for two seasons before finishing his career as a decorated captain-coach in the Gippsland region.