ST KILDA'S Harry Vivian “Vic” Cumberland holds a unique place in the history of Australian Rules Football.

He played at the elite level till the age of 43 which makes him the oldest man to play VFL/AFL football.

The ruckman made his debut for Melbourne in 1898 where he played 50 games over four years. He had a year off in 1902 before moving to St Kilda for 1903. For a number of reasons, Cumberland’s career went ahead in fits and starts and he often missed one or several years at a time.

But he also provides a link between St Kilda Football Club and New Zealand and has a special relevance to Anzac Day.

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Cumberland was one of the best players of his era and, although he played the bulk of his football with St Kilda, he was also part of a premiership with the Melbourne club and played the game in Tasmania, South Australia and with army sides overseas during World War I. His trade as an electrician enabled him to get work wherever he went and he was something of a footballing nomad.

At the peak of his footy career at the age of 27 he left the Saints and headed to New Zealand in 1904. By the start of 1905 he was playing in the fledgling Australian Rules (or Victorian Rules as it was called then) competition in Auckland which had been started the previous year . As one of the great ruckman of the time in Australia he dominated across the Tasman in the newly born competition playing for Auckland Imperials.

By the start of 1907 he had returned to Australia to play with the Saints.

He would be part of the Saints team which went down narrowly in the 1913 Grand Final but he would soon be part of a bigger challenge. Cumberland enlisted for the Army and headed to Europe where he served in the 29th Batallion. Wounded in the wrist and knee he returned to action in France once he had recovered in May 1917 and served there for the remainder of the War. He served there until the war finished and did not return to Australia until November 1919.

RUSSELL HOLMESBY'S TOP 25: Vic Cumberland No.19

Lance Corporal Cumberland’s only blemish on a fine army record came when he was officially reprimanded for gambling on the deck of the troopship on the way home!

Back home in Australia he was asked to help out his old team St Kilda which at the time was wracked by internal trouble . Although he hadn’t played at the top level for five years he pulled on the boots again. In his return match 29 of the 36 players on the field had not been born when Cumberland first played League football 22 years earlier. At the end of the game both sides gathered in the dressing room to give three cheers for the Grand Old Man of Football.

Universally popular, he was a unique figure in the game and played his last VFL match 22 years after his debut.