John William Cassin (1 July 1915 – 3 September 1994) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) over eleven seasons in twelve years, and served as the captain coach of the Euroa Football Club in 1948, and of the Colac Football Club from 1949 to 1951. He served with the RAAF in World War II.
Family The son of William John Cassin (1885–1928),Deaths: Cassin, The Age, (Friday, 3 February 1928), p.1. and Margaret Evelyn Cassin (1887–1929), née Priestly,Deaths: Cassin, The Age, (Wednesday, 24 July 1929), p.1. John William Cassin was born at Richmond, Victoria on 1 July 1915.
He married Edna May Falcke (1915–1971) in 1941.Engaged to Marry, The Herald, (Wednesday, 18 December 1940), p.16.Deaths: Cassin, The Age, (Thursday, 24 June 1971), p.22. One of their seven children, John, played for Essendon (1971–1974), North Melbourne (1977–1981), and Fitzroy (1981–1982) in the VFL, and West Torrens (1975–1976) in the SANFL.
Football
"A rugged and tenacious utility who played the game hard and not always fair, Jack Cassin was a noteworthy identity for many years at Essendon … A controversial figure at times, Cassin was a renowned "stirrer" of opposition players,According to Jack Dyer, in 1965, "Cassin had the knack of irritating his opponents [and] had more football enemies than any [other] player [that] I can recall" ("Essendon through the eyes of Jack Dyer", australianfootball.com.) and might be said to have played his football according to the adage "hit first and ask questions later". Not surprisingly, this approach sometimes attracted the ire of opposition supporters on one occasion he was actually attacked on the field by an angry fan and he was no stranger to the Tribunal either, making a total of eight visits there during his career, and being found guilty three times." John Devaney, Australian Football.Devaney, John, "Jack Cassin", australianfootball.com. "Cassin … [a] big, fast man … is a remarkable player. As well as doing a great job in the ruck, he gives team mates plenty of leads and pops up all over the place as a loose man." — Dick Reynolds, Essendon coach, 16 July 1946.Reynolds, Dick, "Essendon Being Trained On Collingwood Lines", The (Melbourne) Herald, (Tuesday, 16 July 1946), p.13.
Seville (YVFA) Cassin was recruited to Essendon from the Seville Football Club in the Yarra Valley Football Association,Football Notes: Seville Sayso, The Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, (Saturday, 17 August 1935), p.3.Football: Seville, The Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, (Saturday, 11 April 1936), p.4: obviously, Pack Cassin is a misprint. where he had won the team's trophy for "the most improved player" in the 1935 season.Seville: Footballers' Ball, The Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, (Saturday, 12 October 1935), p.3.
Essendon (VFL)
Although he was residentially tied to Richmond, Richmond had expressed no interest in him.He was cleared to Essendon, from Richmond, in April 1936: Richmond keeps Seven New Men, The Argus, (Wednesday, 29 April 1936), p.18.Essendon Keeps 30: Nine New Men on List, The Argus, (Wednesday, 29 April 1936), p.18. Also, some Fitzroy officials had gone to see him play the week before he was signed by Essendon (by former Essendon player and Committeeman Harry Gregory),New Players for Essendon, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Tuesday, 4 February 1936), p.22. and had left the match without even speaking to him.
One of Essendon Second XVIII's best players in the opening round of the 1936 season (scoring 4 goals), in its match against North Melbourne,League Seconds: Essendon 13-17 d. North Melbourne 3-7, The Argus, (Monday, 4 May 1936), p.15. he made his senior debut, at centre half-forward (opposed to Carlton's centre half-back Gordon Mackie), against Carlton at Princes Park on the following Saturday, 9 May 1936,Essendon try Cassin, The Age, (Friday, 8 May 1936), p.4. when Carlton thrashed Essendon 21.19 (145) to 5.13 (43), with Harry "Soapy" Vallence kicking 9 goals in what remains (as of April 2022) as Carlton's greatest ever winning margin against Essendon.Round 2, 1936, Blueseum.
Over his eleven seasons at Essendon, Cassin was mainly used in the first ruck, resting either in the forward-pocket or on the half-forward flank, combining well with Hugh Torney over Torney's last eight seasons (1936–1943) with Essendon, and his hard and tenacious style of play meant that he was a controversial figure during his career, often having to visit the tribunal and, even once, was attacked on the field by an angry opposition supporter.
6 July 1946 On 6 July 1946, Essendon defeated Carlton, 12.12 (84) to 9.9 (63), at Windy Hill.'Scriptor', "Dons Defeat Carlton in Grim Fight", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 6 July 1946), p.3.Beames, Percy, "Dons win Grim Struggle", (Monday, 8 July 1946), p.6.Round 11, 1946, Blueseum. WANTED TO FIGHT BUT SHOOK HANDSIn the second quarter of the Essendon-Carlton match a man in a brown suit ran from the grandstand reserve to the centre, and attempted to hit [Essendon's first-ruck Jack] Cassin, who was standing (Carlton's centreman Ray) Garby's mark.Cassin grabbed the intruder by his waistcoat. The man slipped, got up, shook hands with (Carlton's half-back flanker Vin) Brown, and ran off again.Police constables moved towards the man, but made no attempt to arrest him. — The Sporting Globe, 6 July 1946.Wanted To Fight But Shook Hands, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 6 July 1946), p.3.
Essendon Reserves He retired from senior football at the end of the 1946 season; and, having withdrawn his application to coach the Hawthorn First XVIII, spent the entire 1947 season as captain-coach of the Essendon Reserves.Brown, Alf, "Cassin will lead Dons' Second 18", The (Melbourne) Herald, (Wednesday, 26 February 1947), p.15.
1947 VFL Grand Final In September 1947, due to the extensive injuries of those on Essendon's senior list, Cassin was recalled to the senior team to play in the 1947 VFL Grand Final although he had not played a senior match in 1947; he was in good form, however, having been one of the best players in the Second's losing Preliminary Final team on the preceding Saturday.North Easily Wins Seconds Semi-Final, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 20 September 1947), p.28. He replaced Gordon Lane, who had suffered leg and rib injuries in the preceding week's Preliminary Final.Rib not broken, but Lane cannot play, The Argus, (Wednesday, 24 September 1947), p.32; Cassin for Essendon; Deacon, Grieve fit, The Argus, (Friday, 26 September 1947), p.20; Dons Choose Cassin, The Age, (Friday, 26 September 1947), p.8.
Playing in the first-ruck with Perc Bushby, Cassin, who scored a goal, was one of Essendon's best players in a team that, despite having 30 scoring shots to Carlton's 21, lost by a single point 11.19 (85) to 13.8 (86), with Carlton's half-forward flanker, Fred Stafford, scoring a left-foot goal in the last few moments of the match.Brown, Alf, "Carlton Snatch Win in Hectic Finish: Costly Forward Errors by Dons Ruin Chances", The (Melbourne) Herald, Saturday, 27 September 1947), p.26.One of the High Marks, The Age, (Monday, 29 September 1947), p.14.Grand Final, 1947, Blueseum.
Euroa (WNEFL) In 1948, he was appointed captain-coach of the Euroa Football Club in the Waranga-North-Eastern Football League.Football Notes: Leading Essendon Player Likely Coach at Euroa, The Benalla Ensign, (Friday, 30 January 1948), p.1.Cassin for Euroa, The Argus, (Wednesday, 10 March 1948), p.16.
Euroa lost the 1948 WNEFL Grand-Final match against Seymour, at Avenel on 4 September 1948, by two points: 9.6 (60) to 7.20 (62).(Miscellaneous News Item), The Alexandra and Yea Standard, and Yarck, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express, (Friday, 10 September 1948), p.2.
Colac (HFL) In 1949 he was appointed as the captain-coach of the Colac Football Club team, which had been founded in late 1948 specifically to compete in the Hampden Football League in the 1949 season. He coached the team for its first three seasons: 1949, 1950, and 1951. In 1949, although Colac were the competition's minor premiers,New Hampden Team Succeeds, The Argus, (Thursday, 1 September 1949), p.19. it lost the Grand Final to Cobden, coached by ex-Collingwood player Jack Murphy, 7.11 to 11.13.Hampden League, The Argus, (Monday 12 September 1949), p.17.Colac Football Team, Runners-Up in the Hampden League, The Weekly Times, (Wednesday, 26 October 1049), p.62: Jack Cassin is at the centre of the front row. In 1950,On the Farm: Footballlers round up Rabbits at Colac, The Argus, (Monday, 7 August 1950), p.10. having finished third in the home-and-away season, a more accurate (i.e., seven fewer scoring shots) Colac defeated Warrnambool, coached by ex-South Melbourne player Don Grossman, in the Grand Final by three points: 12.8 (80), to 10.17 (77).Football: Colac Has Narrow Hampden Premiership Win, The Camperdown Chronicle, (Tuesday, 26 September 1950), p.4. In 1951, Colac was unexpectedly relegated (on percentage) to fifth on the competition's ladder, due to a large (seven goal) win by Warrnambool over Cobden in the last home-and-way match of the 1951 season. Cassin confirmed his retirement after Colac's final match for the 1951 season, against Terang on 11 August 1951.Andrew, George, "Cassin retires as Colac's bid fails", The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 15 August 1951), p.12.
After football Having retired at the end of the 1951 season,Jack Cassin Retires, The Argus, (Tuesday, 23 October 1951), p.11.Cassin Retires from Coaching, The Age, (Tuesday, 23 October 1951), p.14. he was succeeded as captain-coach by the ex-Footscray player George "Binga" McLaren.Hampden Teams Pep Up, The Argus, (Friday, 18 April 1952), p.10. Cassin remained in Colac for the rest of his life.He's just won one, The Argus, (Saturday, 13 August 1955), p.5.
VFL Tribunal 1938: Two Essendon players were reported after the 30 July 1938 match, against Carlton, at Princes Park:Teams for Tomorrow: League: Essendon, The Argus, (Friday, 1 July 1938), p.21. Essendon's wingman, Frank Kelly, was reported for kicking Carlton's half-back flanker Charlie McInnes in the third quarter, and Essendon's back-pocket, Bob Standfield, was reported for kicking Carlton's full-back Frank Gill, also in the third quarter of the match. In relation to the charge against Kelly, at the Tribunal hearing on 2 August 1938, "because the evidence against Kelly was not conclusive, the tribunal decided to give [Kelly] the benefit of the doubt, and dismissed the case".Kelly Given Benefit, The Argus, (Wednesday, 3 August 1938), p. 22.