Tom Willoughby

Recruited from the Perth Football Club in the WAFL, Tom Willoughby crossed the continent to join Fitzroy in 1912 and quickly established himself as a robust, physical presence in the Maroons' lineup. Standing 180cm—a significant height for a follower or forward of that era—Willoughby was a talented but overly aggressive player whose career was defined by his frequent dates with the tribunal. He was a regular contributor during Fitzroy's dominant 1913 campaign but missed the club's Premiership victory due to a severe suspension incurred for elbowing St Kilda's Percy Jory, a brutal incident that reportedly left his opponent with permanent hearing loss. Willoughby served his ban and returned late in the 1914 season, but his VFL career was cut short after just 38 games due to the outbreak of World War I, after which he eventually returned to Western Australia.