HENRY Francis Crisfield represented Carlton in just five senior matches under Jack Worrall’s watch, and by then he’d already fronted for far greater stakes

Born in the historic north eastern Victorian town of Chiltern in 1877, Crisfield was amongst the many who answered the Victorian government’s call for volunteers to provide mounted support for the British forces in the Boer War.

Then 22 and a policeman stationed at nearby Rutherglen, Crisfield was just 22 when granted leave to join the Victorian Imperial Bushmen - one of the many Australian contingents raised by the colonies to fight to the death in the southern African conflict that would ultimately claim the lives of 600 Australians and New Zealanders.

One of only six Carlton players known to have served in that war, Crisfield survived – and, on his return to Australia found his way to Princes Park, where Worrall offered opportunity to any abled-bodied individual wanting to have a tilt at League football.

Clearly Crisfield made an impression, for he was named by Jack at full-forward in the team that confronted Geelong at Princes Park in the opening round of the 1902 season. He managed two goals from limited opportunities in that opening encounter, but the Pivotonians prevailed by 38 points.

Crisfield strung together another four games for Carlton, but following the team’s 38-point loss to Collingwood on the King’s Birthday weekend resolved that it was Rutherglen or bust . . . and so headed home.

In July 1910, after having relocated with the constabulary to Williamstown, Crisfield made metropolitan headlines. At the Melbourne Town Hall, in the presence of the then Australian Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, he was recognised with a certificate for bravery, courtesy the Royal Humane Society.

In the official report circulated on the night of the presentation, the following was noted;

Henry Crisfield, Williamstown, police constable, aged 33, who rescued Margaret Arnott, aged 82, from a burning house at Williamstown, on December 20, 1909. During the disastrous fire at Williamstown Mrs Arnott’s shop took fire. Mrs Arnott was in the house and would not leave, though warned to do so. The house was burning fiercely at the back, and was full of smoke when Crisfield ran in and carried Mrs Arnott out, while a neighbour dashed water on the blazing door of the room, whence Crisfield rescued her.

Constable Crisfield’s many Castlemaine friends will be pleased that his fine conduct has received public recognition.

Four years later, Crisfield’s courage in adversity would again be tested. When Australia and the British Empire became embroiled in a far more widespread and costly conflict in 1914, Crisfield again answered the call.

By now married and stationed in Bendigo, he enlisted the following year at the age of 37 - and, due to his previous experience, was afforded the rank of Sergeant with the Anzac Provost Corps, or Military Police. For the next three years he served both at home and abroad in a variety of administrative posts, but was finally discharged on medical grounds after contracting severe bronchitis in 1918.

Home safely in the year hostilities ceased, Crisfield returned to the relative tranquillity of rural life and furthered his career with the constabulary.

Crisfield lived long enough to experience the third major military conflict of his life with the outbreak of World War II in 1939. This time however, he couldn’t see it through, and on February 2, 1945, he died at the age of 67.

Though no Carlton player past, current or future paid with his life in the Boer War, the same could not be said for both world wars.

Of the 44 Carlton players (or ex-players) like Crisfield known to have enlisted for service in World War 1, twelve did not come home or died from wounds. They were:

George Challis (25) 70 games (including the 1915 Grand Final won by Carlton);

Harold Daniel (39) 11 games;

Dave Gillespie (29) 5 games;

Albert Gourlay (36) 6 games;

Tom McCluskey (27) 4 games;

Fen McDonald (24) 10 games;

Stan McKenzie (25) 14 games;

Charlie Oliver (44) 1 game;

Alby Paterson (45) 1 game;

Jim Pender (39) 15 games;

Willie Rogers (25) 3 games; and

Alf Williamson (23) 11 games

In all, 137 Blues signed up for service in World War 2, of whom five gave their lives for their country. Those known to have fallen this time were;

Wilf Atkinson (23) 1 game;

Jim Knight (25) 15 games;

Norm Le Brun (36) 5 games;

Jim Park (32) 128 games (including the 1938 Grand Final won by Carlton); and

Henry Thomson (37) 1 game