Horrie Bant Explained

Horrie Bant
Fullname:William Horace Bray Bant
Birth Date:1882 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Clunes, Victoria
Death Place:Perth, Western Australia
Originalteam:Ballarat Imperials
Position:Centre half-back, Fullback
Club1:West Perth
Years1:1905
Games Goals1:15 (1)
Club2:St Kilda
Years2:1906–1909
Games Goals2:52 (1)
Club3:Essendon
Years3:1910
Games Goals3:12 (0)
Club4:Subiaco
Years4:1911–12, 1914, 1916–18
Games Goals4:59
Club5:Prahran
Years5:1913
Statsend:1918

William Horace Bray "Horrie" Bant (22 September 1882 – 6 May 1957) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Bant, who played mostly used as a centre half-back and fullback, started and ended his senior career in Western Australia.[1] After originally playing for Ballarat Imperials, in early 1904 Bant moved to Western Australia and after playing in the Goldfields League for a few months was cleared to West Perth. He was a member of West Perth's 1905 premiership winning side.[1]

He joined St Kilda for the 1906 VFL season and from his debut played 39 consecutive games.[2] This included St Kilda's first ever final in 1907, with Bant the vice-captain.[3]

After a season with Essendon in 1910, Bant returned to the West Australian Football League, this time playing for Subiaco.[1] He played in another premiership in 1912 but missed their 1913 premiership win as he spent the season in Victoria with Prahran.[4] Bant then returned to Subiaco and played for them in 1914 but missed another premiership the following year when he did not play a senior game.[1]

He was involved in a fatal traffic accident in 1928 when the truck he was driving missed a corner and collided into a telegraph post.[5] His passenger, former Subiaco teammate and coach Phil Matson, crashed into the pole and died two days later in hospital. Bant himself was injured but survived.[1]

Notes and References

  1. http://australianfootball.com/players/player/horrie%2Bbant/2170 Australian Football: Horrie Bant - Player Bio
  2. Web site: Horrie Bant. AFL Tables.
  3. Book: Holmesby, Russell. Main. Jim. The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. 2007. 978-1-920910-78-5.
  4. Web site: William Horace B. Bant. Essendon Football Club website. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110317131510/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/team/player-past.asp?id=32. 17 March 2011. dmy-all.
  5. Western Mail, "Phil Matson Is Remembered", 12 June 1952. p. 21