• The Carlton and St Kilda players who debuted together and fell on the same day at Gallipoli
• Saint Mav Weller's connection to an extraordinary act of bravery
• Check out more great stories at the 2015 Anzac Day round hub
OF THE 89 League players who died during service in World War I, 19 had represented University.
Four died at Gallipoli, including one on April 25, 1915 – Rupert Balfe, aged 25.
Remarkably, among University's casualties were six winners of the Military Cross for bravery, including George Elliott, club captain in 1911-12 and younger brother of famous Australian general Harold ‘Pompey’ Elliott.
Details of Elliott, Balfe and others can be found via the AIF project, an online database which enables Australians to learn more about those who represented the country abroad and at home, from 1914-18.
You can click here to search the WWI records of people from your street, town or suburb
The database search for Balfe makes for grim reading, with the "thick-set" medical student with the "dark complexion" killed instantly by "a bursting shell".
Created by UNSW Canberra, the AIF project database uses information drawn from the National Archives and embarkation and nominal rolls held by the Australian War Memorial.
A database search for Carlton and St Kilda players, Fenley McDonald and Claude Crowl, produces comprehensive records.
McDonald and Crowl made their debuts on the same day and were later killed, also on the same day, at Gallipoli, on April 25, 1915. Their remarkable story is a feature of the Anzac round coverage published on AFL.com.au and in the AFL Record.
The database can be searched by street, suburb, town or state. A search of the main streets around the VFL football grounds of the time illustrates how deeply the first world war affected Australian society.
THE VFL CLUBS IN 1915*
CARLTON
Home ground: Princes Park
Search: Royal Parade, Parkville, and Lygon Street, Carlton
Residents who served in World War I: 124
COLLINGWOOD
Home ground: Victoria Park
Search: Lulie and Hoddle streets, Abbotsford
Residents who served in World War I: 36
ESSENDON
Home ground: East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Search: Wellington Parade and Jolimont Terrace
Residents who served in World War I: 19
FITZROY
Home ground: Brunswick Street Oval
Search: Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Residents who served in World War I: 111
GEELONG
Home ground: Corio Oval
Search: Ryrie Street, Geelong
Residents who served in World War I: 52
MELBOURNE
Home ground: MCG
Search: Clarendon and Powlett streets and Jolimont Road, East Melbourne
Residents who served in World War I: 70
RICHMOND
Home ground: Punt Road Oval
Search: Punt Road and Rowena Parade
Residents who served in World War I: 31
SOUTH MELBOURNE
Home ground: Lake Oval
Search: Clarendon Street, South Melbourne; Albert Road, Albert Park
Residents who served in World War I: 188
ST KILDA
Home ground: Junction Oval
Search: Fitzroy Street and Queens Parade
Residents who served in World War I: 47
*In 1915, the then-VFL had nine clubs. University had joined the competition in 1908 (with Richmond), but disbanded just months before the Gallipoli campaign began. The Students' last season in the League was 1914.
