Fred Hiskins

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| image =

| name = John Frederick Hiskins

| birth_date = 8 August 1878

| birth_place = Rutherglen, Victoria

| death_date = {{death date and age|1946|11|25|1878|8|8|df=yes}}

| death_place = Rutherglen, Victoria

| originalteam = Excelsior (O&MFL), Rutherglen

| height =

| weight =

| position =

| statsend = 1906

| years1 = 1900–02, 1906

| club1 = Essendon

| games_goals1 = 50 (78)

| careerhighlights = *VFL premiership player: 1901

• VFL Leading Goalkicker: 1901
• Essendon leading goalkicker: 1901

}}

John Frederick Hiskins (8 August 1878 – 25 November 1946){{cite web |title=1946 - Fred Hiskins: Obituary |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236269186 |publisher=The Corowa Free Press (NSW) |access-date=22 August 2021 |pages=3 |date=29 November 1946}} was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1900s.{{cite web |title=1921 - Hiskins of Carlton |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/235511054 |publisher=The Corowa Free Press (NSW) |access-date=22 August 2021 |pages=4 |date=2 August 1921}}

Hiskins came from a family of 16 and hailed from Lake Moodermere near Wahgunyah, Victoria.{{cite web |title=1946 - John Hiskins: Obituary |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236265093 |publisher=The Corowa Free Press (NSW) |access-date=22 August 2021 |pages=5 |date=27 September 1946}}{{cite web |title=1902 - Football |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/234859556 |publisher=The Corowa Free Press (NSW) |access-date=22 August 2021 |pages=3 |date=6 May 1902}}

Hiskins played in Excelsior's 1900 Ovens & Murray Football League premiership prior to making his VFL debut in round 15, 1900 against South Melbourne.{{cite web |title=1900 - Essendon show fine form |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9553401 |publisher=The Argus |access-date=4 September 2021 |pages=7 |date=27 August 1900}}

Hiskins was a half forward and topped the league's goalkicking in the 1901 VFL season with 34 goals, finishing the year in Essendon's premiership side. He would have kicked more that year had it not been for an inaccurate game against South Melbourne which saw him kick two goals and ten behinds.

Hiskins regularly used the place kick to shoot at goal and represented Victoria{{cite web |title=1902 - THE INTERSTATE FOOTBALL MATCH |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56562782 |publisher=The Register (Adelaide, SA) |access-date=24 August 2021 |pages=9 |date=26 June 1902}} against South Australia{{cite web |title=1902 - Interstate Football |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4861741 |publisher=The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) |access-date=24 August 2021 |pages=10 |date=26 June 1902}} in Adelaide in 1902.{{cite web |title=1902 - Interstate Football |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4878837 |publisher=The Advertiser |access-date=24 August 2021 |pages=7 |date=27 June 1902}}

After three years in Western Australia he returned to Essendon in 1906 and played one final season. Hiskins managed to squeeze in a game for Wahgunyah in June 1906.{{cite web |title=1906 - Corowa District News |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100684217 |publisher=The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW) |access-date=22 August 2021 |pages=17 |date=29 June 1906}}

Hiskins later played with Rutherglen in 1907,{{cite web |title=1907 - Rutherglen v Wangaratta |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108811386 |publisher=The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times (Albury, NSW |access-date=22 August 2021 |pages=4 |date=22 July 1907}} featuring in their 1907{{cite web |title=1907 - Football: Premiership won by Rutherglen |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108808216 |publisher=The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times (Albury, NSW) |access-date=24 August 2021 |pages=4 |date=2 September 1907}} Ovens & Murray Football League premiership.

His younger brothers Arthur, Rupe and Stan were also VFL footballers while his son Jack played for Essendon in the 1930s.