Westmore Frank Stephens (28 January 1892 – 15 May 1947) was an Australian rules footballer who played with University in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Family The son of Westmore William Stephens and Ada Elizabeth Stephens, née Langlands, he was born in Windsor, Victoria on 28 January 1892.Family Events: Births: Stephens, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 20 February 1892), p.11. He married Lucy May Dawson on 17 September 1918;Marriages: Stephens—Dawson, The Argus, (Saturday, 12 October 1918), p11. they had two children, Westmore Roy Stephens (1921–1983),Births: Stephens, The Argus, (Saturday, 23 April 19121), p.13. and Joan Margaret Elizabeth Purton, née Stephens. Westmore Frank Stephens died on 15 May 1947.Deaths: Stephens, The Age, (Friday, 16 May 1947), p.9.
Education He attended Scotch College, Melbourne, where he played for the school's First XVIII. He was Scotch's School Captain in 1911.
A resident of Ormond College, he enrolled in medicine at the University of Melbourne in 1912.
He graduated Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B., B.S.) in 1918.Roll of Service Overseas 1914–1918: Roll of the Returned: Stephens, Westmore Frank 1912, The University of Melbourne Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants in the European War, 1914–1918, University of Melbourne, (Melbourne), 1926, p.261.Register of Medical Practitioners for 1940, Victoria Government Gazette, No.15 (Wednesday, 31 January 1940), p.399.
Football He played Inter-Varsity football for the University of Melbourne;Football, The (Adelaide) Register, (Tuesday, 11 August 1914), p.5.; Inter-State 'Varsity Football, Victoria v. South Australia: Melbourne (He is listed as "Stevens"), The (Adelaide) Critic, (Wednesday, 19 August 1914), p.13. and was awarded both a full blue in football and a full blue in cricket.
He played his first game for University in the VFL competition, against South Melbourne, on 1 June 1912 (all the press reports have him as "Stevens").South Melbourne (9.16) Beat University (5.8), The Age, (Monday, 3 June 1912), p.11. All in all, he played a total of 10 games for University over three seasons (1912–1914); his last match was against Geelong on 16 May 1914.Geelong (13.9) Beat University (11.5), The Age, (Monday, 18 May 1914), p.7. The university team withdrew from the VFL competition prior to the 1915 season.Football; University Club: Withdrawal from the League, The Age, (Saturday, 16 May 1914), p.19.
Military He enlisted in the First AIF as a medical officer, serving with the Australian Army Medical Corps.
Footnotes
References Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing. World War One Service Record: Captain Westmore Frank Stephens, National Archives of Australia.
External links
First World War Embarkation Roll: Captain Westmore Frank Stephens A.A.M.C., Australian War Memorial. First World War Nominal Roll: Captain Westmore Frank Stephens A.A.M.C., Australian War Memorial.