EARLY FOOTBALL LEGENDS
(Click pictures to enlarge)
Harold Littler or "Joe" as he was known has the distinction of a long and illustrious football career and is second only to Roy Cazaly as the oldest recorded senior player. In 1932 in his final season with Wynyard, Littler was 51 years old.
Born in 1881, he started playing as a 10 year old while attending Launceston's Charles Street State School and as a 16 year old was a member of the Launceston side that won the premiership in 1897.
Two years later, at age 18, he was captain of the Mersey club when it won its first premiership in seventeen years.
After a brief visit to Western Australia and a season with South Melbourne in 1903, he was appointed captain/coach of Mersey until 1908 when he returned to Launceston as captain. Littler captained a north west team which defeated the northern association for the first time on its ground in 1907.
He represented Tasmania at the first Australasian Football Carnival held in Melbourne in 1908.
H K Littler is pictured sitting fourth from the left in the second row. Sitting next to him on the right is Bruce Carter. Algy Tynan is third from the right in the back row and Charlie Searl is second from the right while Jack Gardiner is second from the left in the third row.
In 1909 he had a season of umpiring at Zeehan, returned to Launceston to play with the City club and went to Wynyard in 1911 to become captain, secretary and delegate. He was secretary of the club from 1930 to 1932 and became the Wynyard club's first listed life member.
He captained Yeoman in 1923 and his final match was for Wynyard, as captain, in 1932 aged 51.
He became non playing coach of Wynyard in 1934.
Harold Kennedy Littler finally retired after playing 500 games for seven clubs. When presented with an illuminated address at a public function in Wynyard in 1955, then president of the NTFA Mr R Tyson said it was opinion that "Joe" was the " best footballer in Tasmania in the past 40 years. "
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H.K.Littler - A Tasmanian Football Legend
