Roy Simmonds

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer and coach}}

{{for|the English literary scholar and critic|Roy S. Simmonds}}

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

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

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Roy Simmonds

| image = Roy_Simmonds_1961.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Roy Simmonds in 1961

| fullname = Roy Alexander Simmonds

| birth_date = 29 December 1928

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|8|9|1928|12|29|df=yes}}

| death_place = Melbourne

| originalteam = Cohuna

| height = 175 cm{{cite web|title=Hawthorn's pocket rockets|url=http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2018-01-19/hawthorns-pocket-rockets|publisher=Hawthorn Football Club|accessdate=20 January 2018}}

| weight = 80 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1961

| years1 = 1950–1961

| club1 = Hawthorn

| games_goals1 = 192 (78)

| coachyears1 = 1973

| coachclub1 = Hawthorn

| coachgames_wins1 = 1 (0–1–0)

| careerhighlights =

• Hawthorn best and fairest: 1956
• Hawthorn Team of the Century

}}

Roy Alexander Simmonds (29 December 1928 – 9 August 2008) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the VFL during the 1950s.

Simmonds was used all around the ground by Hawthorn, most often though on the half back flank. His finest season came in 1956 where he won Hawthorn's best and fairest and finished equal fourth in the Brownlow Medal count. He represented Victoria at the 1956 Perth interstate football carnival.

His career ended when he was controversially omitted from the 1961 Grand Final.

Simmonds coached Hawthorn for one game in 1973 as regular coach John Kennedy was coaching the Victorian State team.

In 2003 he was chosen on the interchange bench in Hawthorn's official 'Team of the Century'.

He worked as a grounds maintenance worker at East Doncaster Secondary in his later life, for a total of fourteen years. On 9 August 2008, Simmonds died from cancer.[https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/high-flying-hawk/news-story/0a71cc4da4db8bb5bbdb148ad703fc43?sv=d51636b3412df24cca68ac20e2df5f56 Hawthorn legend toyed with the best]