University Blues is saddened to announce the passing of premiership star Charlie Abbott who died last week aged 85.
Charlie played a key role in the Blues second ever A Grade premiership in 1960.
To quote the Age newspaper …..
“University Blues, with a powerful last-quarter burst of pace and team- work, won the 1960 amateur football premiership with a 22-point win over Old Melburnians on Saturday. The Blues added four goals in the last quarter to OMs’ one, Much of the Blues’ attacking drive came from centreman Charlie Abbott, who was best man afleld”
That followed a semi final victory against Collegians after which the same newspaper said “Blues had two match winners, centreman Charlie Abbott and full back John Nilsen. Abbott was always on top in the centre and rarely wasted a kick.”
Charlie was born in Berrigan in the Riverina and was educated at Caulfield Grammar where he was Dux of the School in 1956 as well as being an outstanding all round sportsman. He subsequently studied law at Melbourne University.
In 1958, Charlie played for Caulfield Grammarians Football Club in C-Section of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). In 1959, he joined Uni Blues and over two seasons played 35 games. While at Melbourne University he played for Trinity College Inter-College Championship and was selected as the best and fairest player for the competition in 1959.
After his best on ground performance in the Blues 1960 premiership he was recruited by Hawthorn where he played 17 games in three years. He played his last match, at centre, for Hawthorn in its 1963 semi-final loss to Geelong. He retired from football just before the 1964 season in order to concentrate on his legal studies
After football, Charlie made a huge contribution to the sport of polo. He started playing in 1972 and continued playing into the early 1990’s. Charlie was a dominant figure in Australian polo through the 19080’s and 1990’s when he was also President of the Victorian Polo Association (1983 – 1992) and a delegate to Federation of International Polo (FIP) and key in Australia joining that organization. In 2000, Charlie was awarded the Australian Sports Medal by Queen Elizabeth for services to polo
A highlight of Charlie’s tenure was securing a visit by Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1985 to Victoria as part of the State’s 150th anniversary celebrations. Charlie organized a polo match at Werribee Park between a Commonwealth team (in which he played with King Charles) and an Australian team. Huge crowds attended the game. The King later stayed with Charlie and his wife Annie at his Hotham Street, East Melbourne residence.
Charlie had a successful legal career including as a partner at law firm Blake & Riggall (Ashurst) and serving variously as Chairman of the Trinity College Foundation, as member of the Finance committee of the Murdoch Institute, and as a Director of the Hawthorn Football Club Foundation
Charlie is survived by his daughter Sybil, and three sons, Robert, James and William.
A memorial service will be held for Charlie Abbott at the Trinity College Chapel at Melbourne University, Royal Parade, Parkville at 2pm on Friday 17 January.
