Harry Dowdall

Who was Harry Dowdall?

Henry Arthur 'Harry' Dowdall was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the inaugural Victorian Football League season.

The son of James Dowdall and Isabella McGowan, Dowdall was small of stature and lightly built, and used these traits to his advantage, particularly in wet weather.

In Collingwood's final game of the 1897 season, Dowdall refused to play unless he was allowed to play on the ball for the entirety of the game. Although not pleasing Collingwood officials with his stance, he remained at the club for a further three seasons, playing 38 games and kicking 21 goals, before crossing to St Kilda in 1901, where he played a solitary game.