Horrie Clover
# Horrie Clover

Horace Ray Clover (20 March 1895 – 1 January 1984) was a leading Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League (VFL).

## Family

The son of Robert James Clover (1864-1900), and Phoebe Rubina Clover (-1901), née Smith, Horace Ray Clover was born at Carisbrook, Victoria on 20 March 1895.

He married Alberta Victoria Porter (1901-1983) on 29 January 1927.

## Football

At 6 ft. 1in., he had a long reach: his finger-tip to finger-tip span was 6 ft. 5in.

### Carlton (VFL)

       "There's quite a story behind Horrie Clover's entry into Carlton, showing that his connection with football was something of a freak. The bare outline of this story will be sufficient. Actually he came to Melbourne in 1919 and joined the Carlton Cricket Club, with no thought of football. While on a cricket tour with the V.C.A. team to Mildura and Wentworth in association with the late Lyle Downs, a dyed-in-the-wool Carltonite. He and Lyle joined a group of locals having some practice kicks at Wentworth. Evidentlv Lyle saw enough because, as Horrie himself said, "After that he never let up on me until I put of a [Carlton] uniform". — Rod McGregor, The Sporting Globe.

Clover was a high-marking centre half-forward who starred from his first game, kicking three goals and hitting the post four times.

### Victoria (VFL)

He was selected to play for Victoria against South Australia on the MCG on 29 May 1920, after having only played three senior VFL games; however, due to an injury he sustained in the match against Essendon on 22 May 1920, he was unable to play, and was replaced in the selected side by Paddy O'Brien.

### Carlton official

Clover was Carlton's key player during his career, including stints as playing coach in 1922-23 and 1927 for 26 wins from 45 matches. He also served as club secretary, vice-president and president over many years.

## Hall of fame

Called "one of the finest exponents of the centre-half-forward position that the game has known", Clover was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

