Eric Francis Cock (1 July 1902 – 24 May 1965) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the Northcote Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).Holmesby & Main (2007).

Family The son of former Fitzroy (VFA) footballer (1884-1887), and former Fitzroy Football Club Secretary, Charles Sidney Cock (1858–1929),Barclay, Bert, "How Fitzroy Club Was Formed", The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 7 March 1936), p. 19.Deaths: Cock, The Age, (Wednesday, 10 July 1929), p. 1. and Alice Annie Cock (1858–1922), née Kerr,Marriages: Cock—Kerr, The Age, (Monday, 18 July 1881), p. 1.Deaths: Cock, The Argus, (Wednesday, 27 December 1922), p. 1. Eric Francis Cock was born at Clifton Hill, Victoria on 1 July 1902.Service Record. One of his brothers, Arthur Edwin Cock (1900-1966), was also a talented footballer.Clever Forward: Arthur Cock, of Bendigo, a Versatile Player, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 6 October 1923), p. 5.Melbourne v. Bendigo, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 18 August 1923), p. 3.'Half-Forward', "Bendigo Players Fight Hard: League Team Extended, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 25 August 1923), p. 76.Football, The Age, (Thursday, 24 April 1924), p. 9.

He married Beryl Louise White (1904-1987) at Clifton Hill on 11 February 1928.Marriages: Cock—White, The Age, (Saturday, 12 May 1928), p. 13.Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Deaths Registration no.9025/1987. They had three children.

Education He was educated at Gold Street State School (No.1360), in Clifton HillStatement of Recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria: Clifton Hill Primary School, H1621, 185 Gold Street, Clifton Hill, Heritage Victoria, 13 November 2023. as was Len Fitzgerald, Reynolds Webb, Leo Wescott, etc. and later at Scotch College, then in East Melbourne.

Football Originally with Scotch College, he played for a year with Collingwood District.Collingwood Forever.

Collingwood (VFL) He made his debut for Collingwood, against Carlton, at Victoria Park, on 20 May 1922.AFL Tables. He soon became a regular selection.Collingwood's Great Footballer: Eric Cock, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 4 August 1923), p. 5.Sharland, W.S. ("Jumbo"), "Two Brilliant Young Footballers----Eric Cock and Frank Ross, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 4 August 1923), p. 5.

He was a member of the Collingwood team that was defeated 11.13 (79) to 9.14 (68) by Fitzroy in the 1922 VFL Grand Final; and, in total, over his three seasons, he played 36 games (40 goals) for Collingwood; with his last match, in which he scored 4 goals, against Melbourne, at Victoria Park, on 12 July 1924.

Collingwood's 1924 mid-season tour On 16 July 1924, as part of the team's mid-season tour, Collingwood played against a combined South Western District Football League (SWDFL) team at Narrandera, of the Riverina region of New South Wales,S.W.D.F. League, The Narandera Argus, (Friday, 11 July 1924), p. 2.Football: Collingwood Victory: Match at Narrandera, The (Wagga Wagga) Daily Express, (Thursday, 17 July 1924), p. 4. and, on Saturday, 19 July 1924, with Collingwood having a bye (the 1924 VFL competition had nine teams), it played against a combined Goulburn Valley Football League (GBFL) team, at Shepparton, in North-East Victoria.'The Rover', "Football: Collingwood Defeated: Brilliant Game by Locals", The Shepparton Advertiser, (Monday, 21 July 1924), p. 5.

19 July 1924 On Saturday, 19 July 1924, Cock and his Collingwood First XVIII team-mate Leo Wescott (neither of whom were part of the team's mid-year tour), were loaned to the local Collingwood District team. Cock's right knee was badly injured in the match.Unlucky Magpie, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 23 July 1924), p. 13. That same evening, unaware that he had been injured in the non-VFL match, the VFL selectors picked Cock for both the Victorian team to play South Australia in Melbourne on 9 August 1924, and the Victorian team to play South Australia in the return match in Adelaide on 16 August 1924.Interstate Teams, The (Melbourne) Sun-News Pictorial, (Monday, 21 July 1924), p. 18.     MAGPIES' BAD LUCK    Eric Cock Injured    As the senior team had the bye Wescott and Cock transferred to the Colllngwood District team, to help them in their game against Coburg. The move was disastrous from the point of view of the senior side, in that the game had hardly begun when Eric Cock fell heavily in a crush and was carried from the ground. It was afterwards found that his knee had been severely twisted, and removal to the hospital was necessary. Cock, by his consistent form roving and forward, has been one of the mainstays of the Collingwood team and his enforced absence from the side will be severely felt. He has been chosen to play against South Australia on August 3 and 16. The Herald, 21 July 1924.Magpies' Bad Luck: Eric Cock Injured, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Monday, 21 July 1924), p. 2.

Retirement Although hoping to return to the team,News and Notes of the Week, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 26 September 1924), p. 3.Contemplates Retirement, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 6 June 1925), p. 5. his knee never recovered (post-cartilage removal) sufficiently for him ever to play senior VFL football again. He officially retired in 1926.Crowded Collingwood, The (Melbourne) Sun News-Pictorial, (Wednesday, 24 March 1926), p. 15.Notes From the Clubs: Collingwood, The Argus, (Friday, 30 April 1926), p. 5.Eric Cock Will Play, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 3 August 1927), p. 9.Will Play Again, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 28 September 1927), p. 8.

Melbourne (VFL) On 23 May 1928, he was granted a clearance from Collingwood to Melbourne,League Permits: E. Cock (Collingwood) Transfers to Melbourne, The Age, (Thursday, 24 May 1928), p. 6. having umpired in the VFL Seconds in the interim.Demonwiki. There is no indication that he ever played football with Melbourne at any level in 1928.

Northcote (VFA) He played in two senior games with Northcote in the VFA in 1929:The VFA Project. against Yarraville on 25 May 1929,Expectations Realised, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 24 May 1929), p.17. and against Coburg on 1 June 1929, a match in which he suffered an "injured instep".Association Notes: Northcote, The Argus, (Wednesday, 5 June 1929), p. 12.

Cricket He was also a talented cricketer. On one occasion, in November 1929, playing for the Clifton Hill Cricket Club against Fitzroy B, in the Metropolitan Cricket League, he scored a competition-record-breaking 248 not out.Record in Metropolitan League, The (Melbourne) Sun News-Pictorial, (Monday, 2 December 1929), p. 29.Junior Cricket: Cock Breaks Record, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 4 December 1929), p. 9.

Wartime service During World War II, he served with the R.S.L. Volunteer Defense Corps.Nominal Roll.In relation to the on-going effects of his knee injury while at Collingwood, his Service Record is endorsed "No Marching".

Death He died at his residence at West Preston, Victoria, on 24 May 1965.Deaths: Cock, The Age, (Tuesday, 25 May 1965), p. 17.

Notes

References

Bandits grab £40 in bag, The Argus, (Tuesday, 11 January 1955), p. 6. World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Eric Francis Cock (V335976), Department of Veterans' Affairs. World War Two Service Record: Private Eric Francis Cock (V335976), National Archives of Australia. "Wells", Eric Cock, of Collingwood (Cartoon), The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 15 June 1923),  3. Anderson's 5 in Rules at Oxford, The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 1 December 1954), p. 5; the Oxford player that was the son of Eric Cock is mis-identified -- he was "Graeme Cock", not "Ben Cock". Australian Game Stars on TV, The (Perth) Daily News, (Saturday, 26 March 1955), p. 3.

External links

Eric Cock 1922-1924, at Collingwood Forever. Eric Cock, at Demonwiki. "Ernest (sic) F. Cock", at The VFA Project.