Bluey Adams

His prime positions were in the forward pocket, where he was a regular, damaging goal-kicker, and as a rover and a wing-man, where he was able to use his great pace to advantage in the open spaces of the MCG. He was one of the fortunate few Melbourne players to be part of all six premierships the club gained during its ten 'golden years' from 1955 to 1964.

:{{cite web|title=Frank Adams|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/F/Frank_Adams.html|work=AFL Tables|access-date=7 October 2024}}

{{Australian rules football statistics legend|p=y}}

{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}

|-

| 1953 || {{AFL Mel}} || 41

| 4 || 5 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.3 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0

|-

| 1954 || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 18 || 20 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.1 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1

|-

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 1955^# || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 16 || 9 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0.6 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1

|-

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 1956^# || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 7 || 3 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0.4 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0

|-

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 1957^# || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 14 || 17 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.2 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 6

|-

| 1958 || {{AFL Mel}} || 6,17

| 13 || 13 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.0 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0

|-

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 1959^# || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 17 || 25 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.5 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0

|-

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 1960^# || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 13 || 16 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.2 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 3

|-

| 1961 || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 13 || 23 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.8 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 4

|-

| 1962 || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 16 || 30 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.9 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 3

|-

| 1963 || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 18 || 18 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 1.0 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 2

|-

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 1964^# || {{AFL Mel}} || 6

| 15 || 1 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 0.1 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 3

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3 | Career

! 164 !! 180 !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! 1.1 !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! {{n/a}} !! 23

|}

Adams was a national champion professional sprinter. Adams won the 1957, 75 yards/130 yards Gift double at Cobram then a week later won the Lilydale GiftLilydale Gift – The Age 4 March 1957 (130 yds) before running second in the 1957 Bendigo Thousand (130 yds).

After running second in the Maryborough Gift, Adams won the 1958 Ararat Gift off a handicap of 3 yards in 12.3 seconds. He rounded off the year winning the South Melbourne and 1958 Canberra Gifts.{{cite web |title=1958 - Canberra Gift |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91244349 |newspaper=Canberra Times |date=3 March 1958 |publisher=The Canberra Times Newspaper}}[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L1FVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3632%2C446334 Bluey Adams Runs Nine "In", The Age, (Monday, 3 March 1958), p.18.]

In November 1958, Adams ran a superb time of 43.8 seconds for 400 yards on a wet grass track at South Melbourne,{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=HasUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T7MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3537,4105749&dq=victorian+athletic+league&hl=en|title = The Age - Google News Archive Search}}

Adams won the 1959 Australian sprint title before losing the title in 1960 to Terry Clarke, before retiring from athletics at the age of 25.Professional Athletics in Australia, Percy Mason, Rigby publishers (1985) page 113.

Adams died age 84 on 11 August 2019 from cancer.[https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-12/man-behind-games-most-brutal-collision-loses-battle-with-cancer Man behind game's 'most brutal collision' loses battle with cancer]

{{reflist}}

• Mason, Percy (1985). Professional Athletics in Australia. Adelaide: Rigby Publishers, p 113. {{ISBN|0-7270-2040-4}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{AFL Tables|ref=F/Frank_Adams.html}}
• {{AustralianFootball|ref=rank%2Badams/8324}}
• [http://demonwiki.org/Frank+Adams DemonWiki profile]

{{Melbourne Football Club Team of the Century}}

{{1955–57 1959–60 Melbourne premiership players}}

{{1964 Melbourne premiership players}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Bluey}}

Category:Melbourne Football Club players

Category:1935 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:Australian male sprinters

Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)

Category:Deaths from cancer in Australia

Category:VFL/AFL premiership players

Category:Melbourne Football Club premiership players

Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen

{{AFL-bio-1930s-stub}}