Frank Langley

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Frank Langley

| image = Frank Langley (before 1906).jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Francis Ernest Langley

| birth_date = 13 October 1882

| birth_place = Prahran

| death_date = {{death date and age|1946|3|22|1882|10|13|df=y}}

| death_place = Dandenong, Victoria

| originalteam = Caulfield Grammar

| height = 177 cm

| weight = 71 kg

| position = Defender

| statsend = 1906

| years1 = 1900–1906

| club1 = Melbourne

| games_goals1 = 89 (61)

| sooteam1 = Victoria

| sooyears1 = 1903–1904

| careerhighlights = * VFL premiership player: 1900

Melbourne captain: 1905
Melbourne leading goalkicker: 1901

}}

Francis Ernest Langley (13 October 1882 – 22 March 1946) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1900s.

Family

The son of Henry Archdall Langley (1840–1906), Anglican Bishop of Bendigo, and Elizabeth Mary Langley (1842–1923), née Strachan, and the tenth of 12 children, Langley was born at Prahran on 13 October 1882.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107119765 Births: Langley], The Telegraph, (Saturday, 21 October 1882), p.4 One of his elder brothers, Henry Thomas Langley, became Dean of Melbourne, while many of his other siblings took roles within the Anglican church and the education system.{{cite book|last1=Hansen|first1=I. V.|title=Australian Dictionary of Biography|date=2000|publisher=Melbourne University Press|url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/langley-henry-thomas-10785|chapter=Langley, Henry Thomas (1877–1968)|volume=15|location=Carlton, Victoria|editor1-last=Ritchie|editor1-first=John}}

He married Lillie Kate Mills (1876–1967), the daughter of George Peter Mills (1835–1933),[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11702755 Deaths: Mills], The Argus, (Thursday, 19 October 1933), p.1 and Mary "Minnie" Mills (1848–1913), née Kyte,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5775967 Marriages: Mills—Kyte, The Argus, (Friday, 23 August 1867), p.4.]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7230463 Deaths: Mills], The Argus, (Saturday, 6 December 1913), p.13 on 25 April 1908.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10668130 Marriages: Langley—Mills], (Saturday, 23 May 1908), p.13Lillie was also the younger sister of Minnie Aimee Mills, who had married Frank's older brother, Aylmer John Langley (1872–1943), on 22 July 1903: [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197218960 Marriages: Langley—Mills], The Age, (Saturday, 8 August 1903), p.5

Education

Langley was educated at Caulfield Grammar School,Webber, (1981), p.301. and at Trinity College, University of Melbourne where he earned a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199415151 University Council, The Age, (Tuesday, 5 December 1905), p.5]: "Bachelor of Medicine.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196319522 The Melbourne University, The Age'', (Friday, 27 April 1906), p.5]: "Bachelor of Surgery". After completing university he worked as a medical practitioner.

Footballer

He was recruited directly from Caulfield Grammar School in 1900.

::"In Langley, the Melbourne footballer, Caulfield has the champion player of the schools. He has been first in every game, and in the last two seasons has kicked 33 goals in 11 premiership games." — The Australasian, 15 September 1900.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139155916 'Old Boy', "College Sports: Weekly Jottings", The Australasian, (Saturday, 15 September 1900), p.584.]

While continuing as a student at Caulfield Grammar School, he played every senior game that season,Webber, 1981, p.69; Wilkinson, 1997, pp.28-30.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198524397 'Follower', "Football"], The Leader, (Saturday, 28 April 1900), p.17; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9540366 'Old Boy', "A Draw or a Win?"], The Argus, (Monday, 7 May 1900), p.6 and was forward pocket in the Melbourne team that won the Grand Final that year,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/11412820 Melbourne Football Team. Premiers 1900 (photograph)], The Australasian, (Saturday, 29 September 1900), p.701.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188651322 'Follower', "The Football Season"], The Age, (Monday, 24 September 1900), p.9]. with "Old Boy", the football correspondent for The Argus noting that, for Melbourne, "Langley's play in the third quarter was wonderful. He is only a school-boy, but during that trying time on the lower wing he was cool and sure as a veteran".[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9557130 'Old Boy', "Football"], The Argus, (Monday, 24 September 1900), p.7.]

Langley could play many roles on the field but was primarily a hard running defender who on occasions was used on the ball. He was often rested up forward and his 17 goals in 1901 was enough to top Melbourne's goal kicking.{{Ref AFL Encyc|1st|244}} In 1903,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/23502387 The Victorian Team], The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 4 July 1903), p.10 (Langley is second from the left in the back row of the Victorian team that played South Australia); [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227537011 'Drop Kick', "Football"], The Sportsman, (Tuesday, 30 June 1903), p.3 and 1904,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32208099 Victorian Football Team], The Kalgoorlie Western Argus, (Tuesday, 6 September 1904), p.24 (Langley is second from the left in the back row of the Victorian team that played Western Australia); [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/82467589 Football], The (Perth) Daily News, (Tuesday, 16 August 1904), p.9 he represented Victoria at interstate football. In 1905 he captained Melbourne for the year, with the club finishing last.

After football

Conducting his medical practice from Dandenong, he was not only a valuable cricketer for the Dandenong Cricket Club, but also served as its president.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66204434 Dandenong Cricket Club], The South Bourke and Mornington Journal, (Thursday, 14 September 1911), p.3

Death

Langley died at his home in Dandenong in 1946.{{cite news|title=Obituary|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68968062|access-date=4 August 2014|work=The Advocate|date=23 March 1946}} He was survived by his wife Lillie and three children, Dorothy, Eric and Roy.{{cite news|title=Family Notices|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22236125|access-date=4 August 2014|work=The Argus|date=23 March 1946}}[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206796403 Deaths: Langley], The Age. (Saturday, 23 March 1946), p.11.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214793039 Death of a Grand Sportsman and Gentleman], The Dandenong Journal, (Wednesday, 27 March 1946), p.14.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214794194 Dandenong Doctor Leaves £23,436, The Dandenong Journal, (Wednesday, 26 June 1946), p.1.]

Footnotes

References

{{cite book | author=Webber, Horace | title=Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881–1981 | publisher=Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda) | year=1981 | isbn=0-9594242-0-2}}
{{cite book | author=Wilkinson, Ian R. | title=The Fields At Play – 115 years of sport at Caulfield Grammar School 1881–1996 | publisher={{sic|Play|right|hide=y}} Publishing | year=1997 | isbn=0-949853-60-7}}

External links

[http://demonwiki.org/Frank+Langley Demonwiki: Frank Langley.]
[http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Frank+Langley Boyles Football Photos: Frank Langley]
{{AFL Tables|ref=F/Frank_Langley.html}}
{{AustralianFootball|ref=frank%2Blangley/1443}}

Category:1882 births

Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne

Category:Melbourne Football Club players

Category:Melbourne Football Club captains

Category:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School

Category:People educated at Trinity College (University of Melbourne)

Category:1946 deaths

Category:Melbourne Football Club premiership players

Category:VFL/AFL premiership players

Category:People from Prahran, Victoria

Category:Australian people of Irish descent

Category:Medical doctors from Melbourne