Keith Batchelor
{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Keith Batchelor
| image =
| fullname = Keith Vincent Batchelor
| birth_date = 4 October 1930
| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|9|24|1930|10|4|df=yes}}
| death_place = Sydney, New South Wales
| originalteam = Murrumbeena
| debutdate = 1952 VFL Grand Final,
Collingwood vs. Geelong,
at Melbourne Cricket Ground
| height = 183 cm
| weight = 86 kg
| position =
| statsend = 1957
| years1 = 1952–1955
| club1 = Collingwood
| games_goals1 = 21 (17)
| years2 = 1956–1957
| club2 = North Melbourne
| games_goals2 = 21 {{0}}(0)
| games_goalstotal = 42 (17)
| careerhighlights = *Collingwood premiership side 1953
}}
Keith Vincent Batchelor (4 October 1930 – 24 September 2009) was a former Australian rules footballer, who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for Collingwood and {{AFL NM}} in the 1950s. He made his senior debut in the 1952 VFL Grand Final.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23198877 |title=Magpies Spring Surprise |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=26 September 1952 |accessdate=9 February 2013 |page=1}}
Family
The son of Collingwood footballer Vincent George Batchelor (1900-1981),[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ryRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cJQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2904%2C3204865 Funeral Notices: Batchelor, The Age, (Monday, 7 September 1981), p.19.] and Mary Alice Batchelor (1902-1970), née Wescott,She was the sister of the Collingwood footballer Henry David "Leo" Wescott (1900-1970). Keith Vincent Batchelor was born in Melbourne on 4 October 1930.
He married Claire Lavinia Kennedy (1931-2014) on 20 February 1954.
Football
=Collingwood (VFL)=
Batchelor came to Collingwood in 1949 as a forward from the suburban club Murrumbeena.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248926730 Collingwood, The Herald, (Saturday, 2 April 1949), p.19.]
=Carlton (VFL)=
Unable to secure a senior game with Collingwood, he was given a clearance to {{AFL Car}}. Although he was listed by Carlton (1951), and although he played in the Carlton Reserves, he was unable to get a senior game.[https://www.blueseum.org/Keith+Batchelor Keith Batchelor, at Blueseum.]
=Collingwood (VFL)=
In 1952 he was cleared back to Collingwood.
Injuries late in the season allowed the selectors to play him as a defender in the Reserves. Due to his good form in the reserves, and injuries to senior players, he made his senior debut at full-back in the 1952 VFL Grand Final: his opponent, George Goninon, kicked five goals against him, and Geelong won the match by 46 points.
In the 1953 VFL Grand Final Batchelor was played at full-forward; he kicked 4 goals, and Collingwood won the match by 11 points.
=North Melbourne (VFL)=
He later was cleared to {{AFL NM}} in 1956 and stayed for two years.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71796571 |title=Batchelor Says North For Me |newspaper=The Argus |location=Victoria, Australia |date=9 April 1956 |accessdate=27 September 2019 |page=20}}
He was 20th man in his last senior match for North Melbourne, against Collingwood, at Victoria Park, on 17 August 1957, the second-last home-and-away match of the 1957 season, and replaced an injured Ray Murphy in the third quarter of the match.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gjpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2951%2C2710725 V.F.L. Statistics, The Age, (Monday, 19 August 1957), p.16.] He played for the North Melbourne Reserves in the Second Semi-Final against Fitzroy, on 7 September; he injured his knee and was replaced in the third-quarter.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AVIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4831%2C1110725 Fitzroy Seconds have Solid Win, The Age, (Monday, 9 September 1957), p.16.] He also played at full-back in the Reserves Preliminary-Final against Essendon, on 14 September 1957,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BlIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4011%2C1687991 Norths Second Side Stronger, The Age, (Friday, 13 September 1957), p.20.][https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BlIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2171%2C1773146 North for Seconds Win, The Age, (Saturday, 14 September 1957), p.16.][https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B1IRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4344%2C2113833 Late Goal gives Victory to North, The Age, (Monday, 16 September 1957), p.16.] and was one of North Melbourne's best players in its Reserves Grand Final win over Fitzroy on 21 September 1957.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DFIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3910%2C2730937 North Seconds Side Stronger, The Age, (Friday, 20 September 1957), p.30.][https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DFIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2826%2C2817753 Improved North for Seconds' Flag, The Age, (Saturday, 21 September 1957), p.16.][https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DVIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4182%2C3157936 Game Last-Quarter Bid Lands Win for North, The Age, (Monday, 23 September 1957), p.16.] He was selected as 20th man in the North Melbourne team that lost to Geelong in the 24 September 1957 Night Premiership match.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DlIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4941%2C3233541 North Fancied in Night Football, The Age, (Tuesday, 24 September 1957), p.16.][https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D1IRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3049%2C3371023 Geelong defeats North Melbourne, The Age, (Wednesday, 25 September 1957), p.18.]
Cricket
He was also a capable cricketer,[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22800445 12th Man takes Five Wickets in Each Innings, The Argus, (Friday, 23 December 1949), p.16.] and played nine first XI district matches as a specialist bowler for Collingwood between 1949 and 1961.{{cite web|url=http://premier.cricketvictoria.com.au/files/3/files/leading-all-time-performers/Updates%202021-22/vca%201st%20xi%20career%20records%202021%20a-c.pdf|title=VCA 1st XI Career records 1889–90 to 2020–21 A-C|access-date=8 February 2022}}
Death
He died in Sydney, New South Wales on 24 September 2009.
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
- {{cite book|title=AFL Record Season Guide 2010|year=2010 |page=948|editor=Lovett, Michael|isbn=978-0-9806274-5-9}}
- Grand Finals: Victorian Rules' Greatest Moments – Stories and Research by Jim Main, Murray Publishers Pty Ltd, Sydney.
External links
- {{AFL Tables | K/Keith_Batchelor }}
- {{AustralianFootball | keith%2Bbatchelor/8133}}
- [https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/keith-batchelor Keith Batchelor, at Collingwood Forever.]
{{1953 Collingwood premiership players}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batchelor, Keith}}
Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne
Category:Collingwood Football Club players
Category:North Melbourne Football Club players
Category:VFL/AFL premiership players