• Source: Brighton Diggins

Brighton John Diggins (born Bryton John Diggins, 26 December 1906 – 14 July 1971) was an Australian rules footballer in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and Victorian Football League (VFL).




Family


The son of Arthur Oswald Diggins (1878–1933) and Lucy Dolphin "Dolly" Diggins (1886–1945), née Mountain, Diggins was born on 26 December 1906. He married Amanda Eileen Murphy in 1928. He died on 14 July 1971.




Subiaco


Diggins began his senior football career at the Subiaco Football Club in the West Australian Football League in 1927. A key position player and ruckman, Diggins was a strong mark and a fast runner, and by 1930, he was considered to be the finest key position player in Australia. He played with Subiaco from 1927 to 1931, and played 88 matches for the Lions.




South Melbourne


In 1932, during the Great Depression, Diggins moved to Victoria to play for the South Melbourne Football Club in the VFL.
Diggins was one of several Subiaco players who joined South Melbourne in the early 1930s, including Johnny Leonard (who was coaching), Bill Faul and John Bowe, with the promise of immediate, long-term, secure, paid employment outside of football within the (137 store) grocery empire of the South Melbourne president, South Melbourne Lord Mayor, and Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Archie Crofts.
The influx of players from interstate became known as South Melbourne's "Foreign Legion", and helped South's on-field performance significantly. Diggins won one premiership with South Melbourne in 1933, and played there until 1936.
At the start of 1937, dissatisfied with his treatment at South Melbourne, Diggins sought and was refused a clearance to the Carlton Football Club. As the season began, Diggins stood out of football, declining to train or play for South Melbourne; he explored options to return to Western Australia and serve as coach – either playing-coach with a clearance, or non-playing coach without – for several WANFL sides, before returning to Victoria and again unsuccessfully seeking clearance to Carlton. Eventually, Diggins stood out of football for the entire season over the dispute.




Carlton


At the start of 1938, Carlton and South Melbourne finally came to an agreement and Diggins was cleared to Carlton. He was immediately appointed captain-coach, and flourished, leading the team to the 1938 premiership. His leadership and coaching style, and in particular, new and innovative training programs he set up for the players, were seen as critical to the club's 1938 success; and he became a highly regarded tactician, with several of his timely positional moves seen as pivotal to Carlton's upset win in the 1938 grand final.
Diggins had announced his retirement prior to the 1938 grand final, but was later convinced to play on. He played two more seasons with Carlton, playing his last senior game in round 4, 1940 against Melbourne, when he suffered a serious injury to a knuckle. Due to that injury, and number of illnesses, he did not play for Carlton again that year, on medical advice; however he did continue as non-playing coach until the end of the 1940 season (round 18: 31 August 1940).




Military service


Having earlier intimated an inclination to enlist in the R.A.A.F., once Carlton's 1940 VFL season had finished, Diggins enlisted in the Second AIF (in September 1940).

"Diggins retired [from football] in order to join the armed forces. However, after just three months he was discharged on medical grounds when it was felt that his ankle, which he had injured in a match in 1934, would be unable to withstand the rigours of infantry training."
He re-enlisted in 1942; and, as Staff Sergeant Diggins, he took an active part in the training of commandos at the Army Physical and Recreational Training School (P. & R.T.) in Frankston.




Frankston


In 1947, he was appointed non-playing coach of Frankston Football Club. In September 1947, when an injured player was unable to return to the field after half-time, he "took the field [and] received a great ovation from the Frankston supporters. Diggins is the biggest man seen in Peninsular football for a long time. "Football News" put his weight down at 17 stone [viz., 108kg]". and, in the following season (1948), aged 41, he made another comeback, in which "he played inspiring football and was largely responsible for his side's two-goal win". He coached Frankston for three seasons (1947–1949).




The Argus


In 1950, he became a football reporter for The Argus.




Subiaco Team of the Century


Diggins was named as the centre half-back in the Subiaco Team of the Century.




Notes






References


Devaney, J., "Brighton Diggins", Australian Football, australianfootball.com, n.d.




External links



Brighton Diggins at Blueseum
Brighton Diggins's playing statistics from AFL Tables
Brighton John Diggins, WAFL Footy Facts.
Boyles Football Photos: Brighton Diggins.
World War Two Service Record: Diggins, Brighton John (VX38178): Enlistment date, 9 September 1940; Date of discharge 2 December 1940.
World War Two Service Record: Diggins, Brighton John (V147355): Enlistment date, 3 March 1942; Date of discharge 20 October 1943.
Find A Grave: John Brighton Diggins.

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Brighton Diggins
• Diggins
• Subiaco Football Club
• List of VFL/AFL premiership captains and coaches
• List of Carlton Football Club captains
• Carlton Football Club
• Sydney Swans
• Haydn Bunton Sr.
• 1938 VFL grand final
• Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park