Jack Doubleday

Jack Lindsay Doubleday (28 May 1890 – 30 October 1918) was an Australian rules footballer who played with University and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League.

Family The son of John Doubleday (1837–1907), and Elizabeth Josephine Doubleday (1863–1943), née Naeser, Jack Lindsay Doubleday was born at Prahran, Victoria on 28 May 1890.

Education He was educated at All Saints' Grammar School, in East St Kilda, and at Wesley College, Melbourne (from 1906 to 1910).

He studied dentistry at the University of Melbourne, and graduated Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc) on 20 December 1916.

Football University (VFL)

Melbourne (VFL) The university team withdrew from the VFL competition prior to the 1915 season; and, along with his team-mates Jack Brake, Claude Bryan, Dick Gibbs, Roy Park, and Percy Rodriguez, Doubleday was given a clearance to transfer from University to Melbourne.

Football In May 1919, an unidentified former Melbourne footballer, wrote to the football correspondent of The Argus as follows: "In 1914 the Melbourne football team, after its junction with the University, was a fine team, and succeeded in reaching the semi-finals.Out of this combination the following players enlisted and served at the front:—C. Lilley (seriously wounded), J. Hassett, H. Tomkins (severely wounded), J. Evans (seriously wounded), W. Hendrie, R. L. Park, J. Doubleday (died), A. Best, C. Burge (killed), C. (viz., A.) Williamson (killed), J. Brake, R. Lowell, E. Parsons (seriously wounded), A. M. Pearce (killed), F. Lugton (killed), A. George, C. Armstrong, P. Rodriguez (killed), J. Cannole (viz., Connole), A. Fraser (seriously wounded), T. Collins.These are all players of note, and in themselves would have formed a very fine side, but there is only one of them playing at the present time, viz., C. Lilley, who, as a matter of fact, takes the field under some disability owing to severe wounds which he received on service." – The Argus, 16 May 1919.

Military service A qualified dentist, Doubleday enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps on 9 October 1918, and left Australia on 16 October 1918, to serve overseas in the Australian Dental Corps.

Death He died of spinal meningitis on 30 October 1918, on his way to the Western Front.

He was buried at sea, and is commemorated at the Chatby Memorial in the Shatby district of eastern Alexandria, in Egypt.