Jack Leckie – One of the chosen

ONE OF THREE SELECTORS FOR THE STATE TEAM
PLAYER, COACH, SELECTOR.

Mr. Jack Leckie, who is one of the chosen three who will select the representatives of this State in the Carnival games, has had a long and honourable career in the football world of Western Australia.

Away back in ’94 he played with Carlton (Vic.). Then the lure of ”The West’ brought him to this State, and he arrived in Coolgardie in ’95. He joined up with ‘The Unions,” who won the Coolgardie premiership in ’95. Next year we find him leading the Civil Service Club, and once again he was in the premier team. In ’97 he threw in his lot with ‘The Rovers,” whom he led off the field as premiers. In 1898 he was captain of Boulder City, and under his guidance the side duly annexed the premiership. In 1899 he repeated the trick. The side was not successful in winning the premiership in 1900, but in 1901, still under Jack’s captaincy, they played grand football, and recovered the premiership. From 1901 to 1905 sides led and coached by him won the premiership on every occasion. In 1906 “J.L” left the Goldfields for the Coast, and joined up with Perth, under the captaincy of that great baller, George Moysey. The next year be was both captain and coach of the red legs, and once more premiership came his way. During the time that Jack Leckie was associated with Perth F.C. as a player, on one occasion only were the City men out of the “final four.”

He was captain and coach of East Perth, and also acted in similar positions for South Fremantle. His last appearance on the football field as a player was with East Perth. Mr. Leckie has been associated with the Perth Club as coach for some time, and followers of the game know for themselves what sterling football he has been responsible for. In 1918 he took up the position of coach of the Christian Brothers’ College, and at once made his presence felt, for his charges went through the season undefeated, and broke all existing records. In 1919 the school was at the head of the scoring list, when owing to influenza outbreak the competition was abandoned. Last season premiership honours were again won by his pupils. The Carnival team of 1914 was selected by Messrs. J. Leckie the late W. (‘Barney’) Grecean,’ and H. Crapp. In addition J.L. has had a hand in the selection of many representative teams. He has on different occasions led the “Next Best XVIII” against the selected State team. In 1901, on the Goldfields, Jack Leckie won the trophy for ‘The Best All Round player,” and in the same season he was the leading goal-kicker. In 1903 he was champion goal-kicker of Goldfields League. Such is a brief outline of the football doings of one who has been appointed a selector for the State team of 1921. Can there be any doubt as to the wisdom of this choice of the League delegates?

From the Book ‘Gravel Rash’ by Les Everett
Jack Leckie:- The Pioneer – Like many of the pioneers of the Goldfields football, Jack Leckie first played the game in Victoria. He was associated with Essendon and Fitzroy before arriving in Western Australia in 1895.
In 1895 Leckie played in the first game under the control of the Yilgarn Football Association in Coolgardie. He was a member of the Union Team. In 1896 he captained Civil Service in the Coolgardie competition and later that year captained a combined Coolgardie team which travelled to Perth.

Jack Leckie

Leckie moved to Boulder City where he took over as captain in 1898. This was to be his longest stay at a single club. His time with Boulder began succesfully when his team won the premiership. However the stay was not without incident. The Hannans District Football Assco was thrown into caos in 1900 when Leckie was suspended for the remainder of the season following a fight with opposition player, Jennings.
Leckie said jennings made a remark to prevoke the fight. Leckie said:

“I made use of my opportunity by getting home first. I would always endeavour to get the first blow in.”

The Boulder City Club, incensed by the suspension, voted to sever relations with the HDFA. In retaliation the association disqualified Boulder City for the remainder of 1900-1901. Leckie was still at the helm when Boulder lost the grand finale in 1904. A move to the coast heralded  the beginning of a remarkable round of coaching appointments for Leckie. He coached South Fremantle in 1911 and 1912, Subiaco 1915 and 1916, West Perth 1923 and Perth in 1930. Leckie was to coach Subiaco to a premiership in 1915, but his greatest success came in 1921 when he coached the victorious WA team at the Australian carnival in Perth. It was WA’s first carnival victory.