Ivor Nicolle

Three Sturt greats in action, Reg Whithead (20), Freddy Odgers (14) and Ivor Nicolle (13) in the 1920's. Source: Sturtfc

Ivor Harold Nicolle is a former player for the Sturt Football Club. He played in three premierships for the club including the 1919 replay. He enlisted for the Australian Army during the First World War.

Football Career

A stalwart of the Double Blues line-up on either side of world war one, he was an energetic, resourceful and surprisingly pacy ruckman who often had an inspirational effect on his team mates. He arrived at Sturt from Coromandel Valley in 1912 and soon established himself as a regular member of the first ruck, which was where he played when the Blues broke through for their first premiership in 1915 with a 2 goal challenge final victory over Port Adelaide. After a three year break for the war, Nicolle’s heroics helped Sturt to a second successive flag in 1919, and perhaps partly inspired by the experience he developed into an even more

Five Sturt champions of 1920's in action (from left) Ivor Nicolle, Charlie Whitehead, Norman Barron (Obscured), Clarrie Scrutton and Victor Richardson. Source: Sturtfc

effective and influential player as he entered the twilight of his career. As late as 1924, his second to last league season, a writer in the ‘SA Footballer’ was describing him as being “in championship form”, with his displays late in the year in particular being “a revelation”. When Nicolle retired in 1925 he had played a total of 112 SAFL games and kicked 29 goals. He represented South Australia 3 times. Ivor Nicolle’s name has been extolled and eulogised at Sturt ever since his last gasp goal in the 1919 challenge final replay against North Adelaide handed the club its second senior premiership, but he deserves to be remembered for a lot more.

Nicolle is remembered for his goal in the 1919 replay where he kicked a goal with ten minutes to go in the game and recovering a misplaced kick by Clarrie Scrutton when Ivor stretched highly to take the mark. Ivor kicked the goal to win by 3-5 to 2-6.

Achievements

SFC Games: 112
SFC Goals: 29
Games for South Australia: 3
Premierships for Sturt: 1915, 1919, 1919 replay

Sources

http://australianfootball.com/articles/view/Victor+Richardson+looks+back/881

http://australianfootball.com/players/player/ivor%2Bnicolle/357