Since the inception of the Victorian Football League in 1897, many of its players have served in the armed services, including the Anglo–Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War (in which Melbourne's Geoff Collins served as a fighter pilot), and the Vietnam War (in which Essendon's Keith Gent, Lindsay McGie, and Ian Payne, and Geelong's Wayne Closter all served).
A number of the VFL players who served also lost their lives on active service; they were either killed in action, or died as a consequence of the wounds, injuries, and/or illnesses they had suffered in their active service.In all that follows, in the event of any conflict in the information provided by different sources, unless there is some specific reason to do otherwise, the work of Main & Allen (2002) is taken as the authority because it is the most reliable, the most recent, and the most thoroughly researched.Note that is derived from this Wikipedia article; not vice versa.
According to Main & Allen (2002, p. x), "no VFL footballer was killed in any wars other than the Anglo–Boer War and the two World Wars".
Anglo–Boer War Charlie Moore and Stan Reid, the only two VFL players to be killed in the Anglo–Boer War, had played against each other in the 1898 VFL Grand Final.
Reid had played in the back pocket for Fitzroy and was one of Fitzroy's best players, whilst Moore had played at full-forward for Essendon. Fitzroy won the match 5.8 (38) to 3.5 (23), with Moore kicking one of Essendon's three goals.Main & Allen (2002), p.3; Mapleston, (1996), p.54.
Moore had already played a number of senior games for Albert-Park Football Club (and, possibly, also for the South Melbourne Football Club) in the VFA before moving to play for Essendon in the VFL's inaugural year of 1897,Main & Allen (2002), p.3. whilst Stan Reid had played quite a number of senior games for the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFA prior to 1897.Main & Allen, (2002), p.7. PlayerVFLGamesVFL club(s)Rank held at time of deathDate of deathLocation Charlie Moore 30 Essendon Trooper, 4th Victorian ImperialBushmen's Contingent 12 May1901 Kwaggashoek Farm,South AfricaMain, J. & Allen, D., "Moore, Charles", pp.3-6 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Charles Moore (301) AFL Statistics: Charlie Moore Stan Reid 24 Fitzroy Lieutenant, 6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry 29 June1901 Middel-Kraal,South AfricaMain, J. & Allen, D., "Reid, Stanley", pp.7-10 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Stanley Spencer Reid AFL Statistics: Stan Reid
World War I It can never be definitively argued that any particular person was "the first VFL footballer killed in the First World War" due to at least six former VFL footballers being killed during the chaos of the landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915—Lieutenant Joseph Rupert "Rupert" Balfe (University), Private Joseph Alan "Alan" Cordner (Geelong and Collingwood), Private Claude Terrell Crowl (St Kilda), Private Charles "Charlie" Fincher (South Melbourne), Private Fenley John "Fen" McDonald (Carlton and Melbourne), and Corporal Arthur Mueller "Joe" Pearce (Melbourne).