THE TRAGIC DEATH OF YALLOURN’S BRILLIANT CAPTAIN
The following news report related to an extremely sad event in the history of Yallourn. The article, as published in the ‘Morwell Advertiser’ in September 1939, tells of the passing of Allan Hutton and the consequent burial service at the Yallourn Cemetery.
Allan’s tragic death impacted seriously upon the players and members of the Yallourn Football Club. Allan was a champion of YFC and one of Gippsland’s best-ever pre-war footballers. He was extremely popular in sporting circles and his ability on the football ground was said to be ‘second-to-none’ in that era of Victorian country football.
The footnotes, accompanying this news article, may assist readers in appreciating Allan’s notable achievements in football and the great sorrow caused by his sudden death.
SEPTEMBER 28TH 1939 ‘MORWELL ADVERTISER’ PAGE: 8
Death of Prominent Footballer
ALLAN HUTTON CROSSES THE BAR
One of Yallourn’s best and most popular footballers in the person of Mr Allan Hutton (son of Mrs F. Wilkins of Morwell) passed away at Yallourn Hospital, on Saturday last.
Deceased who was in the prime of his life being only 31 years of age, spent his school days in Morwell and when quite a lad was one of the ‘star’ players of the local football team.
About ten years ago he entered the employment of the State Electricity Commission at Yallourn and became a member of the Yallourn Premier team of which he was subsequently became captain for five or six years.
He was an excellent footballer, a successful captain and was most popular, not only with his club mates, but with members and supporters of other clubs.
His sudden passing came as a shock to his comrades and many friends, quite a gloom being cast over Yallourn by the sad event.
He was a strong upstanding man and apart from meeting with a few minor accidents, scarcely knew what a day's sickness was. He, however, recently met with an accident when a collision took place between a bicycle he was riding and a motor bus, which resulted in a serious injury to one of his legs.
He was afterwards admitted to the Yallourn Hospital, where he made headway towards recovery, until septic poisoning supervened and to make matters worse he developed a serious infection of the throat, which we understand brought about his sudden death.
He leaves a widow and two young children to mourn their loss and much sympathy is felt for them in their sad and sudden bereavement.
The remains of deceased were interred in the Yallourn Cemetery on Sunday last, and the large and representative gathering that assembled at the grave side and the host of beautiful floral tributes bore ample testimony to deceased's popularity among all sections of the community.
As a mark of respect to their departed comrade, members of the Yallourn football teams marched for some distance in front of the hearse on the way to cemetery. The Rev. T. D. Beyer, of Morwell (a former prominent footballer, and broadcast announcer) officiated at the grave, the mortuary arrangements being carried out by W. McIntosh and Co.
FOOTNOTES.
1. The headline term ‘crosses the bar’ was often used in earlier times to inform readers that someone had died. The saying can be traced back to Lord Alfred Tennyson’s famous last poem (1889) called ‘Crossing the Bar.’
2. Allan passed away on September 23rd 1939. He was 31 years of age. The YFC photos, that have been posted with this story, are from the 1930’s.
3. It is believed that the accident, which caused the injury and Allan’s eventual hospitalisation, occurred on Thursday 31st August 1939. Several accounts tell that Allan was riding his bicycle when he collided with a bus (Maxfield’s Motor Service). Allan suffered a dislocated shoulder and a severe leg injury; and he was taken to the Yallourn Hospital for treatment.
4. Following Allan’s death, a benefit match for his surviving family was held in October at the Yallourn Oval. The game was between the combined Yallourn teams (Blues and the Golds) and a team comprising players from the other Gippsland football clubs. According to the press report…
“The object of the match is to honour the memory of the late Allan Hutton, Yallourn's former popular captain and well-known footballer, and also to make ta gift of the proceeds raised by the match to his widow and young children who have lost their bread winner.”
5. Allan was regularly in the limelight in relation to his football prowess but he also made the news in ‘The Argus’ (August 1938) when…-
“Mr Allan Hutton of Parkside Yallourn, captain of the, Yallourn football team, suffered hand lacerations when he was inspecting a running belt and pulley at the briquetting factory at midday to-day. He was treated by a doctor.”
6. A report in the ‘Traralgon Record’ (July 1932) suggests that officials of Collingwood FC had interviewed Allan but had been unsuccessful in obtaining his services to play with the Magpies.
7. Extensive research shows that it is probable (but not proven) that Allan may have played two matches for St Kilda in 1927. AFL records show that a certain ‘Allan Hutton’ (aged 18 years and 323 days) played for St Kilda against Hawthorn at the Glenferrie Oval in Round: 12 in 1927. ‘Allan Hutton’ also played against Richmond the following week and kicked one goal. There are no further records or evidence of Allan playing VFL football.
8. Allan’s name was published in the sports pages of ‘The Argus’ in 1937 when he won the Phyl Molloy trophy for the best player in the local Grand Final that season.
9. According to ‘The Argus,’ Allan played football for Yallourn for 11 years and was club captain for five seasons.
10. In 1942, the following ‘In Memoriam’ notice was published in the ‘Morwell Advertiser’….
IN MEMORIAM: HUTTON. -In loving memory of my dear son, Allan, who passed away at Yallourn Hospital, Sept. 23rd, 1939. Loved brother of Valma (Mrs R.Leishman) and Keith (A.I.F.) Loving memories always.-Mother.
11. Allan’s brother, Keith Mervyn (born 1920), was quite a personality in and around Morwell; and numerous newspaper articles point to a teenager with lots of energy and spirit. It is known that Keith enlisted (at Morwell) in the Army during the Second World War; and rose to the rank of Corporal prior to his discharge in 1946. Keith served in Borneo and was a member of the 2nd Australian Beach Group. (See the Australian War Memorial website for a description of this unit’s role in the amphibious landings at Sarakan).
This story is part of a history project entitled ‘From the Newspapers’ and a full list of titles in this series can be obtained by contacting Julie George. The research and writing of the article was completed by Roger Spaull; and the presentation and posting of the story was done by Julie for the Virtual Yallourn website in March 2017.
The above extract, from the ‘Morwell Advertiser’, has been faithfully reproduced. The only amendments to the original copy are the font style, font size and spacing, so as to enhance the story for the purposes of posting on the Virtual Yallourn website.