Ron Savage

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Ron Savage

| image =

| fullname = Ronald Ellis Savage

| birth_date = 22 April 1917

| birth_place = Carlton, Victoria

| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|1|15|1917|4|22|df=yes}}

| death_place = Mooroopna, Victoria

| originalteam = Vermont

| debutdate = Round 14, 1938

| debutteam = Carlton

| debutopponent = Essendon

| debutstadium = Princes Park

| height = 187 cm

| weight = 89 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1945

| years1 = 1938–1945

| club1 = Carlton

| games_goals1 = 111 (95)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Ronald Ellis Savage (22 April 1917 – 15 January 1974) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).{{Ref AFL Encyc|10th|786}}

Football

A flexible utility player, Savage played all over the ground throughout his career, most frequently in the ruck, back line and forward line. He was tall and instantly recognisable from his blond hair, from which he derived his nickname "the Blond Bomber". From Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Savage began his junior career at Tunstall in the Mitcham district league. He first played seconds football for the Carlton Football Club as a 17-year-old in 1934, and made his senior debut in 1938.{{cite news|newspaper=Saturday Evening Express|date=24 May 1952|page=6|title=Might have won V.F.L. award but for war}} By 1939, Savage was Carlton's best follower and among the top players in the league.{{cite news|newspaper=The Sporting Globe|date=17 September 1941|page=8|title=Frank talk with Bentley}} Savage had his best season in 1945, winning the best and fairest award in the club's premiership season and earning Victorian interstate selection; in the notoriously violent 1945 VFL grand final against {{AFL SM}}, known as "the Bloodbath", he was suspended for eight matches for striking Don Grossman.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|location=Melbourne|title=6 league players suspended|date=3 October 1945|pages=1, 7}}

Savage left Carlton for Tasmania at the end of 1945. Savage signed as playing coach of the Hobart Football Club in the Tasmanian Australian National Football League for 1946 and 1947,{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|date=31 January 1946|page=22|title=Ron Savage appointed Hobart club coach}} but Carlton refused his clearance on residential grounds, forcing him to sit out the 1946 season as Hobart's non-playing coach. He was not cleared to play for Hobart until 1947, after appealing his transfer to the Australian National Football Council.{{cite news|newspaper=The Herald|page=18|date=12 March 1947|title=Footballers cleared on appeal}} In the acrimony, Savage requested his life membership at Carlton be rescinded; made public claims that he had been offered an illegal payment connected to Carlton in an attempt to retain him;{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Savage breaks with Carlton|page=13|date=4 July 1946}} and later attempted to claim £100 from Carlton's provident fund, which Carlton had withheld on the grounds that it was the council and not the club which had cleared him.{{cite news|newspaper=The Mercury|date=30 June 1949|page=22|title=Ron Savage claiming £100 from Carlton}}

Savage sought to move to City in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association in 1948, but his clearance was rejected by Hobart and he instead spent the season with Franklin in the Huon Football Association in 1948. He joined City as playing coach in 1949, remaining as player only in 1950.{{cite news|newspaper=The Mercury|date=28 February 1950|page=19|title=Bauer likely City coach}} He was then captain-coach of the NTFA's Longford in 1951 and 1952.

Savage then returned to Victoria to captain-coach the Red Cliffs Football Club in the Sunraysia Football League,{{cite news|newspaper=Examiner|date=9 April 1953|page=16|author=Half back|title=Longford delay clearance}} where they won the 1953 premiership.{{cite web |title=1953 - PREMIERSHIP WIN TO RED CLIFFS |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/282359042/31879167 |publisher=Sunraysia Daily (Mildura, Vic. : 1920 - 1956) |access-date=15 June 2025 |page=6 |date=14 September 1953}}

War service

In the middle of his time at Carlton, Savage enlisted to serve in the Australian Army during World War II.{{cite web |url=https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=636331&c=WW2 |title=World War II Roll: SAVAGE, Ronald Ellis |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs}}

Family

The son of unmarried mother Violet Irene Ellis (1891–1919), Ronald Ellis was born at Carlton on 22 April 1917. Shortly after his birth he was adopted by Joseph William Savage (1874–1952) and Annie Savage, nee Harrison, and took the name Ronald Ellis Savage.

Death

Ronald Ellis Savage died at Mooroopna on 15 January 1974 and was cremated at Fawkner Memorial Park.{{cite web |url=https://www.gmct.com.au/deceased/1734869 |title=Ronald Ellis Savage |publisher=Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust}}

External links

{{AFL Tables | R/Ron_Savage }}
[http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Ron+Savage Ron Savage] at Blueseum

Notes

Category:1917 births

Category:1974 deaths

Category:Carlton Football Club players

Category:Carlton Football Club premiership players

Category:John Nicholls Medal winners

Category:Hobart Football Club coaches

Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne

Category:Hobart Football Club players

Category:City-South Football Club players

Category:City-South Football Club coaches

Category:Longford Football Club players

Category:VFL/AFL premiership players

Category:People from Carlton, Victoria

Category:Australian Army personnel of World War II

Category:Military personnel from Melbourne