Full Name: GORDON STRANG
Date of Birth: 10/02/1908
Height: 185 cm ( 6-1 )
Weight: 83 kg ( 13-1 )
Guernsey: 23
Debut: 02/05/1931, Round 1, Carlton
Last Game: 27/08/1938, Round 18, Fitzroy
RICHMOND SENIORS
Seasons: 1931-36, 1938
Total Games: 116
Total Goals: 108
Honours: Premiership 1932, 1934, Victorian Representative Team 1932-34 Games 9 Goals 9.
RICHMOND RESERVES
Seasons:
Total Games:
Total Goals:
Honours:
BIOGRAPHY
Gordon "Cocker" Strang was an outstanding centre-half-forward and centre-half-back. His strongest asset was his marking and during one game against South Melbourne in 1935, he was credited with the amazing tally of 28 - in fact records show it was 21 marks. After that game a Richmond teammate commented that Gordon had so much of the ball that he should know how many stitches there were on the football. Gordon promptly replied 261. He made his debut in Round 1 of 1931 and quickly showed his prowess by finishing the match with 12 marks. During the 1932 Final Series he was credited with taking 32 marks for the two games. This included 16 marks in a best-on-ground performance against Carlton in the 1932 Grand Final. He played in 11 Finals games with Richmond and was voted in the club's best three players on four occasions. He was also a fine kick.
Legendary Collingwood coach Jock McHale had this to say about Gordon after he had played only a handful of games: "I have never seen two recruits from the bush referring to Gordon and his brother Doug, come into a league side and shine like they did. Gordon is a sound player with great judgement and good anticipation." He was a member of the 1932 and 1934 Premiership sides and the 1931 and 1933 Grand Final sides. He also represented Victoria nine times. Gordon's highest individual goal tally was 6 against Collingwood in Round 10 of 1932 and he kicked 5 goals or more three times at Richmond.
A knee injury curtailed his 1936 season to just two games, and Richmond believing his career was at a crossroads allowed him to coach Launceston in 1937. He returned in 1938 for one final year with Richmond.
In 1939 he moved to Wodonga where he won the "Morris Medal" for the Best and Fairest in the Ovens and Murray League. He had the medal taken off him as a result of a disqualification that make him ineligible during that season, he then went on to win it the following season before the war stopped the competition altogether. In appreciation of his service to the Wodonga Football Club the grandstand has been named in his honour. Gordon's father Bill and brother Allan played with South Melbourne, and another brother, Colin played with St. Kilda. His nephew Geoff Strang also played with Richmond. Gordon died in 1951.
PRE RICHMOND
Jindera 1926-28 ; East Albury 1929-31.
POST RICHMOND
Launceston Captain/Coach 1937, Games 15, Goals 4 ( Honours - League Representative Team Games 2 Goals 1 ) ; Wodonga Captain/Coach 1939-40 ( Honours - Competition Best & Fairest " Morris Medal " 1940, Club Leading Goalkicker 1940 Goals 40 ).
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