Harold Ball
He played his first senior VFL game for Melbourne, aged 18, in the first ruck against Jack Dyer and Percy Bentley of Richmond at their peak,[3] at the MCG, on Saturday 22 April 1939 (round one).[5] On Saturday, 21 September 1940, in the Preliminary Final match against Essendon, which Melbourne won by 5 points, 12.18 (90) to 12.13 (85), Ball was the resting forward pocket ruckman.[12] On 8 February 1942, the Japanese began their assault on Singapore, with the Battle of Sarimbun Beach; and Ball's unit was overwhelmed with the task of evacuating the many wounded to a dressing station known as "Hill 80".On 9 May 1942, three months later, a working party of Australian prisoners of war, sent out to cut feed for the Japanese horses, found the bodies of the four men.In 1946, the Melbourne Football Club's best first-year player award was officially designated the Harold Ball Memorial Trophy in his honour.