Wally Sykes
Melbourne and Collingwood
AFL career
43 games17 goals
- Debut
- R1 1904 v GEE7 May 1904
- Most recent
- R16 1912 v ESS17 Aug 1912
Stats
Bio
Recruited from the Fitzroy Baptists, Wally Sykes initially struggled to break into a strong Collingwood lineup before revitalising his career in the VFA with Richmond. Developing into a quick and no-nonsense centreman, he played a pivotal role in the Tigers' 1905 premiership triumph before returning to the League ranks with Melbourne in 1907. Sykes proved to be a handy utility for the Redlegs, capable of winning the hard ball in the middle or drifting forward to hit the scoreboard. His aggressive streak was best illustrated in 1908 when he famously copped a three-week suspension for striking a former teammate in a heated clash against Richmond, cementing his reputation as a hard-nosed competitor who added crucial experience to the Melbourne side over six seasons.
Profile
- Born
- 02 May 1881
- Died
- 04 Oct 1967 (aged 86y 155d)
- Birthplace
- Fitzroy, VIC
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from the Fitzroy Baptists, Wally Sykes initially struggled to break into a strong Collingwood lineup before revitalising his career in the VFA with Richmond. Developing into a quick and no-nonsense centreman, he played a pivotal role in the Tigers' 1905 premiership triumph before returning to the League ranks with Melbourne in 1907. Sykes proved to be a handy utility for the Redlegs, capable of winning the hard ball in the middle or drifting forward to hit the scoreboard. His aggressive streak was best illustrated in 1908 when he famously copped a three-week suspension for striking a former teammate in a heated clash against Richmond, cementing his reputation as a hard-nosed competitor who added crucial experience to the Melbourne side over six seasons.