Hugh Purse

{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}

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

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

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Hugh Purse

| image = Hugh Purse (before 1915).jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Hugh Landles Purse

| birth_date = {{birth date|1881|10|2|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Hawthorn, Victoria

| death_date = {{death date and age|1952|9|6|1881|10|2|df=yes}}

| death_place = Brighton, Victoria

| originalteam = Brighton (VFA)

| height =

| weight =

| position = Half forward

| statsend = 1915

| years1 = 1904–1915

| club1 = Melbourne

| games_goals1 = 84 (26)

| careerhighlights = *{{AFL Mel}} captain: 1908

}}

Hugh Landles Purse (2 October 1881 – 6 September 1952) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Purse, originally from Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Brighton, was the younger brother of Melbourne's 1900 premiership player Jack Purse.The Argus, [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10650039 "The Second Half-Season"], 27 June 1908, p. 17 Noted for his strong marking, Purse played many of his early games as a half forward.{{cite book|last=Holmesby|first=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim|title=The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers| publisher=BAS Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-920910-78-5}} He represented Victoria at the 1908 Melbourne Carnival and was also club captain of Melbourne that year.{{cite book|last=Lovett, Michael|title=AFL 2004 – The Official Statistical History Of The AFL| publisher=AFL Publishing|year=2004|isbn=0-9580300-5-7}}

Purse returned to Brighton, as captain, in 1910, but came back to Melbourne for a final season in 1912 before retiring.The Argus, [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10858168 "Williamstown's Bad Shooting"], 23 May 1910, p. 5{{cite web |url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/H/Hugh_Purse.html |title=AFL Tables: Hugh Purse |website=afltables.com}}

Purse's son, Hugh C. Purse, was a leading athlete who became an Australian Army officer and died from wounds inflicted at Tobruk in 1941.The Argus, "Personal Notes", 1 August 1941, p. 3.