Roy Lindsay Park (30 July 1892 – 23 January 1947) was an Australian sportsman and doctor. The son of a Methodist minister, he played cricket for Australia and also Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne. Park also served in the Australian Imperial Force in World War I.
Football career
Park started his senior VFL career at University, making his debut in 1912. He had an immediate impact as the club's leading goal kicker with 22. Park's 53 goals in the 1913 VFL season was bettered only by Fitzroy's Jimmy Freake with 56. Little interest was manifested in the meeting of Richmond and University at Richmond [Cricket Ground on 13 August 1913], the local men displaying more knowledge and better tactics than the students, and winning handsomely.The real concern in the game centred in the doings of Roy Park, the students' goal sneak, a great favourite on all grounds.Notwithstanding that his side has not won a game, Park's success has been phenomenal, his judgment standing out among his comrades' like an oasis in a desert.After the match the opposition supporters, who were carried away by the boy's marvellous accuracy [in kicking five goals], rushed the ground and carried him in shoulder high – a unique tribute in these degenerate days. – The Australasian, 6 September 1913.
Park had medical studying commitments at Melbourne University in 1914, leaving him free for few games, but still managed to kick 36 goals for the season that was University's last in the VFL competition.
In 1915 Park played with VFL club Melbourne, where he kicked 35 goals in 13 games, but was suspended for four matches for striking Gerry Balme of St Kilda, despite three witnesses coming forward to say that Park had not hit the player at all. Park refused to play football again after his suspension, ending his VFL career with 146 goals in 57 matches. However, following the end of the war, Park returned to football, playing with Footscray Football Club—he was conducting his medical practice in Footscray at the time—who were then a member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA). In the 1920 VFA second semi-final replay, Park won the match for Footscray against North Melbourne Football Club with a dramatic kick that dribbled through for a goal with less than ten seconds left on the clock.
World War I
A registered medical practitioner, Park enrolled in the Australian Army Medical Corps of the Australian Imperial Force on 12 July 1917. Upon enrolling, Park was given the rank of captain and left Australia on 4 August 1917 aboard the HMAT Themistocles. He served with the 5th Field Ambulance Unit and was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette on 11 July 1919 and in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 30 October 1919. Park returned safely to Australia on 2 June 1919 after the conclusion of World War I.
In May 1919, an unidentified former Melbourne footballer, wrote to the football correspondent of The Argus as follows: "In 1914 the Melbourne football team, after its junction with the University, was a fine team, and succeeded in reaching the semi-finals.Out of this combination the following players enlisted and served at the front:—C. Lilley (seriously wounded), J. Hassett, H. Tomkins (severely wounded), J. Evans (seriously wounded), W. Hendrie, R. L. Park, J. Doubleday (died), A. Best, C. Burge (killed), C. (viz., A.) Williamson (killed), J. Brake, R. Lowell, E. Parsons (seriously wounded), A. M. Pearce (killed), F. Lugton (killed), A. George, C. Armstrong, P. Rodriguez (killed), J. Cannole (viz., Connole), A. Fraser (seriously wounded), T. Collins.These are all players of note, and in themselves would have formed a very fine side, but there is only one of them playing at the present time, viz., C. Lilley, who, as a matter of fact, takes the field under some disability owing to severe wounds which he received on service." — The Argus, 16 May 1919.
Cricket career
Park was a cricket prodigy at Wesley College. His schoolmate Robert Menzies, future Prime Minister of Australia, recalled reading Shakespeare behind the school practice nets, "so that he could partake of the bard whilst watching Park bat." Park played for South Melbourne Cricket Club in the Victorian Cricket Association (VCA), and starred as a right-handed opening batsman, including a 315-run opening partnership with future Australian Test captain Bill Woodfull, for many years a club record. He became the youngest man to lead the batting averages for Melbourne Cricket Club. He was chosen as part of Warwick Armstrong's 1914/15 Australian team for a stillborn tour of South Africa: