Westmore Stephens

A quintessential amateur of the pre-war era, Westmore Stephens balanced a burgeoning medical career with his duties for the Students. A product of Scotch College, where he served as School Captain, Stephens broke into the University lineup in 1912 but found his VFL opportunities limited by the rigorous demands of his studies, managing just 10 senior appearances over three seasons. Standing only 168cm, he was a diminutively built utility who struggled to secure a permanent spot in the 22, and his low profile often saw his surname misspelt as "Stevens" in contemporary match reports. His brief league career concluded when University withdrew from the competition at the end of 1914 due to the outbreak of conflict, with Stephens subsequently serving his country as a Captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps during World War I rather than pursuing a transfer to a rival VFL club.