Eric Tassie

Eric Tassie
President of the Australian National Football Council
In office
4 November 1929 – 4 November 1935
Preceded byAlf Moffat
Succeeded byBob Rush
Personal details
Born(1887-10-12)12 October 1887
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died21 July 1936(1936-07-21) (aged 48)
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Eric Harry Tassie (12 October 1887 – 21 July 1936) was an Australian rules football administrator. He was president of the Australian National Football Council (ANFC) from 1929 to 1935.

Tassie was a son of Henry Tassie, who was a government minister in South Australia.[1] He attended Way College, Adelaide, and played football for the school team and later for various lower-level clubs. An accountant by profession, Tassie became manager of the Norwood Football Club's B-grade team in 1912, and then in 1914 was elected club treasurer.[2] He became club secretary in 1919, holding that position until 1924, and was a club delegate to the South Australian Football League (SAFL)[a] from 1920 until his death.[3] Tassie managed the South Australian state team at the 1924 National Carnival,[4] and was a state selector on a number of other occasions.[1]

After several years as a delegate from South Australia and a term as vice-president, Tassie was elected ANFC president at its general meeting in November 1929, succeeding Alf Moffat of Western Australia.[5] He held the position until November 1935, when he resigned and nominated Bob Rush of Victoria as his successor.[6] During his presidency, Tassie was known for his flexibility with regard to the laws of the game. He presided over the reintroduction of the flick pass for the 1934 season,[7] and at one point suggested tackling should be banned in order to free up the flow of play.[8] Tassie died unexpectedly in July 1936, aged 48, while undergoing an operation on his mastoid process.[1] After his death, the Tassie Medal was struck in his honour, to be awarded to the best player at each Australian National Football Carnival.[9]

  1. ^ a b c "MR. E. H. TASSIE DIES SUDDENLY", The Advertiser, 23 July 1936.
  2. ^ "Mr. Eric Tassie", The Journal, 25 May 1923.
  3. ^ "MR. ERIC H. TASSIE", The News, 11 April 1925.
  4. ^ "INTERSTATE FOOTBALL CARNIVAL: Manager of South Australian Team.", The Register, 29 April 1924.
  5. ^ "FOOTBALL COUNCIL MAKES S.A. MAN PRESIDENT", The Register News-Pictorial, 5 November 1929.
  6. ^ "AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FEDERAL PRESIDENT: Mr. R. T. Rush (Vic.) Elected", The Age, 5 November 1935.
  7. ^ "S.A. WELCOMES FLICK PASS", The News, 9 August 1933.
  8. ^ "Suggested New Rule.", The West Australian, 15 June 1932.
  9. ^ The 1937 Perth Carnival, AustralianFootball.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.


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