Ted Besford

Born in Northumberland, England, before emigrating to Australia as a ten-year-old, Ted Besford was a diminutive recruit from Wonthaggi who managed a brief VFL career with Fitzroy during the early years of the Second World War. Standing just 170cm, the lightly-built utility broke into the Maroons' senior side for a debut in late 1939, but struggled to hold a spot in the lineup, adding just one more solitary game to his tally in 1941 before his time at Brunswick Street concluded. While his football contributions were limited to two senior appearances, Besford possessed the clean hands and agility of a high-level wicket-keeper, a talent that saw him forge a far more significant legacy in district cricket. Following his time at Fitzroy, he was cleared to Carlton in 1945, where he became a stalwart of the Blues' cricket team as a captain and long-serving secretary rather than a regular fixture on the football field.