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Lawrence McNamara
Date of Birth
Height/Weight
Nickname
Position
Ruck
Number(s)
10, 11, 19
Debut
Debut: v West Torrens (Norwood) 1st May 1909. Finale: v North Adelaide (Norwood) 24th May 1919
Clubs
SANFL
Norwood (1909, 1913 to 1915, 1919)

Courtesy of R Crompton at Redlegs Museum
Lawrence McNamara first appeared in the Norwood senior side in 1909 when he played a handful of games. He played in the seconds for the next three years before becoming a regular member of the senior team from 1913 to 1915. The World War 1 intervened and he didn’t play again until 1919, at the age of 33, when he played despite receiving severe gunshot wounds to his knee and thigh on the battlefields of France in 1918.

Lawrence played as a ruck-rover with Wally Steele and C. D. Packham in what was described by one observer as “a formidable Norwood ruck”. He was awarded a prize at the 1914 Norwood Annual General Meeting as “best shepherder”. Lawrence also possessed talents as a singer, giving “great pleasure to the members”.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in November 1916 and was severely wounded in action in August 1918, returning to Australia in February 1919.

He was made a Life Member of Norwood Football Club.

Achievements[]

NFC Games: 39
NFC Goals: 5
NFC Life Member

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