Gordon Ogden

Who is Gordon Ogden?

Gordon Ogden was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League.

Ogden, the son of dual Essendon premiership player Percy, was recruited from Northcote CYMS. He played at Melbourne as a back pocket specialist and represented the VFL five times during his career. After appearing in losing Preliminary Finals at the end of the 1936 and 1937 seasons, Ogden left the club for Williamstown in the Victorian Football Association.

From 1939 to 1941, the same years that Melbourne would win three premierships, Ogden captain-coached Williamstown. He steered them to a flag in 1939 and returned after in 1945 the war to captain-coach the club for one final season. Ogden did however spent two more years as non playing coach, in 1948 and to another premiership in 1949.

This second coaching period followed a single season as an umpire. In 1947 Ogden joined the VFL senior list of umpires, umpired 14 VCFL matches and was emergency field umpire for a single VFL match.

The former Melbourne defender then coached Yarraville to a Grand Final in 1953, a surprise considering they had claimed the previous three wooden spoons.