Cyril Hoft

Cyril Louis Hoft (24 September 1896 – 5 July 1949) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the North Fremantle and Perth Football Clubs in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian Football League (SAFL).

Cyril Hoft
Personal information
Full name Cyril Louis Hoft
Date of birth 24 September 1896
Place of birth Perth, Western Australia
Date of death 5 July 1949(1949-07-05) (aged 52)
Place of death Perth, Western Australia
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 63 kg (139 lb)[1]
Position(s) Wing
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1914–15 North Fremantle 11 (?)
1919–28 Perth 88 (?)
1924–27 Glenelg 56 (?)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
1921–23 Western Australia 3 (1)
1924–27 South Australia unknown
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1928.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Family and Early life

The son of Herman Hoft (-1936),[2] and Amelia Ann Hoft (-1954), née Haley,[3] Cyril Louis Hoft was born on 24 September 1896. He grew up in the South-West region of Western Australia, moving to Perth to attend Scotch College, where he played in the school's football team.

He married Dorothy Marjorie Davies, in Perth, on 22 June 1925.[4]

North Fremantle (WAFL)

Because his school was located in North Fremantle recruitment zone, Hoft began his career with that club, playing eleven games for North Fremantle in 1914.

Military service

Along with many others from his team, Hoft enlisted in the First AIF in February 1915, which forced the club to disband. Serving as a private in the 44 Infantry Battalion, he saw action in the European theatre,[5] where he was wounded in action on two separate occasions.[6][7][8][9]

He was one of the members of the First AIF who participated in the October 1916 "Pioneer Exhibition Game", an exhibition match of Australian Rules football organised, in London, by Frank Beaurepaire.[10]

Perth (WAFL)

Hoft resuming his league career with Perth in 1919.

Sandover medal

Hoft tied with Subiaco's Tom Outridge, on 14 votes, in the inaugural Sandover Medal count in 1921. Prior to 1930, only one vote was given in each game, meaning that both Hoft and Outridge had been best on the ground in 14 matches.[11]

Because there was no provision, in that inaugural year, for a tied vote, and it was decided to leave the choice of the single winner to "an adjudicator" that was to be appointed by Messrs. Sandover and Co. (the donors of the medal).[12] It was decided to allow the WAFL president, Alf Moffat, to cast the deciding vote, which he gave to Outridge.[13]

In 1997, along with a number of other players who had tied for first, but lost on countback, Hoft was awarded a retrospective medal.

Glenelg (SAFL)

In 1924, Hoft switched to Glenelg in the SAFL. Standing out in a team that had yet to win a match, Hoft was appointed captain two rounds into the season,[14] and won the club's best and fairest in 1924. He was appointed captain-coach in 1925, and guided the club to its first ever win after 56 losses, an upset against reigning premiers West Torrens.

Perth (WAFL)

Hoft returned to Perth in 1928, playing one game in his final season with the club before retiring.[10][15]

Interstate football

Hoft represented Western Australia in the 1921 Perth Carnival;[10][16] and represented South Australia at the 1924 Hobart Carnival.

Death

He died in July 1949 after a long illness, leaving his wife (Dorothy, née Davies) and six children (June, Kevin, Les, Lois, Maureen, and Peter).[17][18]

See also
  • The "Pioneer Exhibition Game" in London (1916)

Footnotes
  1. Cyril Hoft – Snouts Louts. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  2. Deaths: Hoft, The West Australian, (Wednesday, 29 July 1936), p.1.
  3. Deaths: Hoft, The West Australian, (Friday, 10 September 1954), p.43.
  4. Marriage: Hoft—Davies, The West Australian, (Monday, 13 July 1925), p.1.
  5. Cyril Louis Hoft - First World War Embarkation Roll – awm.gov.au. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  6. ANZAC Heroes: Great War 1914–1918: Bunbury–Wellington District Western Australia: Cyril Louis Hoft.
  7. 326th Casualty List: Wounded, The (Perth) Daily News, (Wednesday, 25 July 1917), p.2.
  8. Illustrated Section, The Western Mail, (Friday, 27 July 1917), p.19.
  9. 439th Casualty List: Wounded, The Western Mail, Friday, 8 November 1918), p.42.
  10. "Cyril Hoft - Player Bio". John Devaney. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  11. "About the Sandover Medal, wafl.com". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  12. Chatter, The (Perth) Daily News, (Friday, 23 September 1921), p.5.
  13. Football Echoes, The Call, (Friday, 21 October 1921), p.8.
  14. CYRIL HOFT: GLENELG'S NEW CAPTAIN. – The Advertiser. Published 23 May 1924. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  15. Where Are They Now?, The (Perth) Daily News, (Thursday, 3 August 1939), p.12.
  16. The Western Australian Carnival Team, The Western Mail, (Thursday, 11 August 1921), p.20.
  17. Former Perth Winger Dies – The Daily News. Published 6 July 1949. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  18. Deaths: Hoft, The West Australian, (Thursday, 7 July 1949), p.1.

References
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