More on Williamstown’s Jasper Jones

Kim also asked:

I find it odd that Jasper Jones only played one season with Carlton and then went back to Williamstown.  Was he perhaps not up to standard for Carlton?

My reply:

I don’t think he wasn’t up to it at Carlton at all. They would have retained him for sure as he was a fine player. It looks like Williamstown probably offered him the captaincy to return. The fact that he was also married in 1887 is significant. Many players retired after marriage at this time, but perhaps in Jasper’s case Williamstown also offered some additional financial security (perhaps he got a promotion in the Railways around this time, or secured a better job in that company, or indeed may have purchased a house with some help of the club). 1888 was an important year for Williamstown because a local rival South Williamstown, after 2 years in the VFA, folded and many of its better players went to Williamstown.

1888 was probably one of the few times in its early history that Williamstown FC had a bit of money to throw around. The captaincy was a highly regarded position as the captain was virtually the coach (before coaches officially emerged). Jasper would have directed his men on the field. Likely after 1889 Williamstown went into financial decline and could not continue to maintain Jasper Jones in a style he was accustomed to. But clearly he was always a ‘Williamstown man’ and stuck with the club. I think, like other players from lowly clubs he wanted to play for a big club like Carlton, but probably only to ‘taste’ what it was like. The offer of the captaincy and some other inducement(s) helped him return to the blue and yellow. If he had to pick a club and year to go he couldn’t have done better than joining Carlton. The 1887 Carlton premiership side was a great outfit with some superb players. I don’t think Jasper was a bit player in this success and he well and truly earned a place in football history by being a member of that team. After 1887 Carlton didn’t win another premiership for 20 years! Jasper also played a game for Victoria, which was certainly a feather in his cap. I would put Jasper Jones in Williamstown’s all time greatest 20 but 19th century players are not as highly regarded as they should be these days because so little is known about most of them.

Some recent research on South Australian Clubs

I have recently investigated the names of players in the South Australian Football Association and came up with the following lists of players from Kensington during the period 1877-1880.

Kensington

Formed: 1870
1877 SAFA foundation member
1881 Amalgamated with Adelaide
1882 Dropped out of SAFA

Colours: Red & white (until 1884?)
1878: Red
1879: Red & white jersey with similarly colored hose, & white
knickerbockers
1885: Red, black & blue

Uniform: Red & white striped jersey & cap, white trousers

Ground: Kensington Park Oval

Captains Vice Captains

1877 P. Wood C. Moulden
1878 A. Crooks/A. Harrison A. Harrison
1879 A. Harrison P. Wood
1880 G. Milne W. Osborne

1877

T. Burton, A. Clarke, F. Day, W. Day, Archie Frew, Alex Frew, F. Frew, H. Goode, William Gwynne, R.W. Hall, A. Hamson, A.M. Hargrave, C.T. Hargrave (is this T. jun.?), H.W. Hargrave, A. Harrison, L.H. Herbert, Marshall, George Milne, Bay A. Moulden, H. Muirhead, C.A. Patterson, Dudley E. Phillips, Thomas Pope, F.G. Stanton, H. Stanton, J. Trimmer, Peter Wood, E.T. Woods, Julian E. Woods

Emerg: R. Clarke, W. Dunstan, T. James, J. Thomas

1878

R. Bagot, Bodinner, Ainsley Caterer, A. Crooks, G.H. Dean, W. Dunstan, Frew, Hall, A. Harrison, Charles W. Hughes, H. Meyer, George Milne, C.W. Mudie, Dudley E. Phillips, Pirrie, P? Smith, Sparks, F.G. Stanton, Peter Wood

1879

R. Bagot, Burmeister, Burton, Edgar Caterer, Clark, Hales, A.T Harrison, C.E. Herbert, L.H. Herbert, Liddell, Lloyd, H. Meyer, George Milne, C.W. Mudie, F. Phillips, Sparks, F.G. Stanton, Peter Wood

1880

A. Attridge, W. Binney, Ainsley Caterer, Clark, Colan, Colbey, J. Coward, (James T?) Darwent, Davis, Frew, E. Greenwood, Hall, A.T. Harrison, F.S. Henry, C.E. Herbert, L.H. Herbert, H. Hewer, Lloyd, Lukey, MacDougall, H. Meyer, J.D. Miller, George Milne, W.H. Osborne, Pappin, F. Phillips, Roberts, A.E.L. Smythe, F.G. Stanton, J.D. Stephens, W.E. “Billy” Stiffe, H.W. Varley, Peter Wood

New: Colbey (Norw. or Sth. Adel?), J. Coward (Norw?), W.H. Osborne (Vicn), W. Stiffe (Geel., Vic.), H. Varley (Adel.)
Off: R. Bagot (Adel.)

Williamstown’s Jasper Jones

A query from Kim about a relative called William Fagg “Jasper” Jones.

“I am currently researching my family history. There is one gentleman by the name of William Fagg Jones, otherwise known as Jasper Jones, who played with the Williamstown Football Club in the 1880’s and 1890’s. He was captain in 1888/89. He also received a medal during his time with Williamstown, though I do not know what it was for.

I was wondering, during your research, if you have come across Jasper Jones and any information relating to him and his playing days. Any information or tid-bits would be greatly appreciated.”

Reply

Dear Kim,

Jasper Jones was arguably Williamstown’s greatest player in the nineteenth century. He was captain in 1888-1889 and vice captain in 1886 & 1891. He kicked 27 goals for Williamstown and one (famous) goal for Carlton when he played for the Blues during the 1887 season and became part of a very good premiership side.

Jaspers Jones’ famous long goal was a 60-yard drop-kick that was scored against Fitzroy on August 13, 1887 while he was playing with Carlton.

Jasper Jones represented Williamstown in its first year as a club in the VFA. I have not come across his name playing for Williamstown before this time (when the club was a Junior team).

This is the best record I have on Jasper’s games record:

1885 14-16
1886 20-22
1887 16-18 (with Carlton) + 1 game for Victoria.
1888 19
1889 20
1890 12
1891 15
1892 -
1893 15

Total 131-137 games.

In 1892 Jones played for juniors North Williamstown (this may have had something to do with the appointment of “Barkley” Jones as Williamstown captain in that year. This suggests Jasper was not very happy about it – nor was the rest of the team!).

All the best.