Australian Football
Charlie Tyson (14 November 1897 – 23 September 1985) was an Australian Rules Footballer who played with Collingwood and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League during the 1920s. Recruited to Collingwood from Western Australian-based Goldfields Football League side Kalgoorlie Railways, Tyson was a half-back flanker and made his VFL debut in 1920. He was named club captain in 1924 and despite not making the finals in his first season in charge he led them to Grand Finals in the next two.
Charlie Tyson
It was in the 1926 VFL Grand Final that he found himself in significant controversy. Collingwood lost the match to Melbourne by 57 points and Tyson was accused of ‘playing dead’. To this day it is unclear whether the allegations hold water but what was known is that the Collingwood committee considered his relaxed and laid-back demeanor as inappropriate for a club captain and were possibly looking for an excuse to get rid of him. Disgruntled with the allegations, Tyson received a clearance to move to North Melbourne for the 1927 VFL season. Tyson topped North Melbourne’s goal kicking in his first season with the club and subsequently became captain coach.
The Tyson Brothers
Tyson came from a leading Western Australian footballing family; his father Charles Snr, also played for Kalgoorlie Railways, as well as fellow Goldfields’ club Coolgardie, and Western Australian Football League (WAFL) club East Fremantle. Additionally, Tyson had five brothers who all played football to a high standard:
- Edward with Kalgoorlie Railways and Victorian Football Association (VFA) club Prahan;
- George, Kalgoorlie Railways, and WAFL clubs Perth and West Perth;
- Jack, Kalgoorlie Railways and South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club South Adelaide;
- Sam, Kalgoorlie Railways and West Perth (coaching the club in 1931);
- William, Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie Railways. Additionally, Sam’s son, Ted Tyson played for West Perth from 1930 to 1945, kicking 1203 goals.
THE six Tyson brothers who played for Kalgoorlie Railways in 1903. At rear are Ted, Jock and Sam. Sitting in front are Watty, Charlie and George ‘Tony’.
Sunday Times 3 September 1950, page 4
Who would walk 64 miles to play football?
That is what the Tyson brothers, Charlie and Jock did in 1898.
Probably the best known of this renowned family is George (Tony), now living in retirement, he’s 69 – at Leederville. Great footballer though he was, he has not attended a football match for years. Born in St. Arnaud, Vic, Tony came over to WA with other members of the family in 1894. They went straight to the goldfields and worked at Black Flag.
In reminiscent vein yesterday, Tony recalled that he and his 5 brothers created a football record, 6 of them were playing for Kalgoorlie Railways for 2 years. That was in 1902-03. Tony has a number of sporting records to his credit. He played league football for 26 years and missed only 4 matches. Leaving Kalgoorlie in 1912, he came to Perth, played with the Perth league team from 1913 to 1919, then transferred to West Perth and was with the cardinals until 1926.
Although mostly a ruckman, he has played in every position and treasures quite a collection of gold medals.
Most prized of thèse is the Yankee Doodle Tobacco Trophy, awarded him for outstanding forward play in 1903. In 1909 he won the gold medal for fairest and best player in the goldfields league. Tony represented WA in 3 carnivals in the Eastern States. In 1908 he was a member of the WA Jubilee team playing in Melbourne, in 1911 he was in the State team in Adelaide, and in 1914 played in the carnival in Brisbane.
In summer he turned his attention to cricket. Playing for J. & W. Bateman’s against Sandovers in the Mercantile competition at the age of 59, he compiled 166 not out – a record that he believes still stands. Today Tony takes little interest in football. “I gave it up when they changed the holding the man – holding the ball rule,” he said. “That is ridiculous.” He just couldn’t adapt himself to the changes.
There were 20 players on each team when the 6 brothers wore the red and black guernsey of Kalgoorlie Railways at the beginning of the century. Apart from the 6 brothers who played together, football does not run in the Tyson family. Tony is. the father of 9 children (now all grown up) but he said the Tysons figuring in League football, both in Perth and on the goldfields in recent years, are not related to him.
Moya Sharp
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