368:
Cordner was working as a clerk when he enlisted in
Melbourne on 22 August 1914; it was the same day that he played his last match for Collingwood. He was the first Collingwood footballer to enlist. He served as a private in B Company of the 6th Battalion, First AIF, and embarked on 19 October 1914,
404:
In an apparent act of kindness, the final declaration of his death was conveyed to his mother and father by the
Reverend Thomas Pearse Bennett, the vicar of Christ Church, Warrnambool. Pearse, who was also an Anglican military chaplain, had received the news by wire that Cordner had been declared
396:
His body was never recovered. He was initially posted as "wounded" (in April 1915); following a fruitless search of the relevant hospitals, he was posted as "wounded and missing" (in
October 1915). He was not officially declared to have been "killed in action" until after some twelve months of
34:
325:, against Carlton, on 17 May 1913 (round four); he played well, in the backline, in a Collingwood team that won a hard-fought match by six points. In 1913 he played ten senior games (of a possible nineteen) for Collingwood, including its Semi-Final 37-point loss to
313:
on 8 June 1912 (round eight). On a very windy day, with a bad football (it had been over-inflated), and in a very low standard game, which
Geelong eventually won by 37 points, 8.15 (63) to 3.8 (26), he was not amongst Geelong's best players.
426:
380:. His cousin, Captain Edward Rae "Ted" Cordner, served as a medical officer in the 6th Field Ambulance. His other cousin, Dr. Henry "Harry" Cordner, overseas at the time that war broke out, was commissioned as an officer in the
392:
Cordner died on 25 April 1915, shot some four miles inland, after being cut off by the Turks and becoming separated from his
Battalion at Cape Helles, the rocky headland at the southwesternmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula.
431:
405:"killed in action", along with "expressions of sympathy with the deceased's parents from the King and Government", and took the news immediately to Cordner's parents at the Warrnambool National Bank.
329:
on 13 September 1913. He injured his collar-bone during the match, which was played in the rain, on a very wet and muddy ground. He remained on the field of play once injured, but was of little use.
904:
889:
414:
272:. His father remarried, marrying Mabel Emilie McKay (1860â1969) in 1902. He had one full brother, Edward Clement Cordner (1892â1943), three half-brothers and one half-sister.
884:
455:
Despite various suggestions given over time, related to particular individuals, it is clear that at least six former VFL footballers were killed during the chaos of
691:
899:
436:
909:
894:
771:
The Roll of Honour: Two
Further Lists of Casualties (102nd and 103rd Lists): Victoria: Wounded ("Pte. J. A. Cordner, 6th Btn. (and missing)"),
377:
268:
The son of Isaiah Joseph
Cordner (1860â1934), a bank manager, and Jessie Cordner (1865â1901), nÊe Walker, he was born on 6 May 1890 at
479:(Melbourne) â it can never be definitively argued that one of these men was "the first VFL footballer killed in the First World War".
879:
269:
257:
79:
276:
829:
417:, on the Gallipoli Peninsula; his name is located at panel 46 in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial.
309:
Although
Cordner played well in Geelong's first match of the season, he was not selected again until the match against
839:
242:
733:
Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The
Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
238:
230:
184:
381:
357:
322:
310:
824:
798:
Australian
Casualties: 175th List: Killed in Action: Victoria ("Pvt. J. A. Cordner, Warrnambool, 25/4/15"),
476:
844:
762:
Australian Casualties: 97th List Issued: Wounded: Victoria ("Pte. J. A. Cordner, 6th Batt., Warrnambool"),
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His brother, Sergeant Edward Clement Cordner (Service number 89), enlisted on 18 May 1914, serving in the
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456:
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291:
234:
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874:
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Recruited from Warrnambool, Cordner played his first senior VFL match, aged 21, for Geelong, against
218:
600:
33:
840:
Australian War Memorial: Red Cross Wounded and Missing Records: 180 Private Joseph Alan Cordner
834:
621:
306:; he played well for Geelong in a high standard match, which Carlton won in the last quarter.
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214:
333:
468:
460:
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303:
299:
736:
Main, J. & Allen, D., "Cordner, Alan", pp. 44â46 in Main, J. & Allen, D.,
622:
National Archives of Australia: World War I Service Record: Edward Clement Cordner (89)
341:
110:
863:
835:
National Archives of Australia: World War I Service Record: Joseph Alan Cordner (180)
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337:
854:
472:
464:
830:
Australian War Memorial World War I Embarkation Roll: Joseph Alan Cordner (180)
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345:
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102:
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission casualty Details: Cordner, Joseph Alan (180)
287:
As a schoolboy Cordner was renowned for his long drop-kicks and strong marks.
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302:(round sixteen). He was given the single game to gauge his prospects for the
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Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour "Circular": Joseph Alan Cordner (180)
797:
779:
761:
569:
398:
253:
106:
39:
825:
Australian War Memorial World War I Nominal Roll: Joseph Alan Cordner (180)
427:
List of Australian military personnel killed at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915
570:"Spoiled by Rain: Fitzroy in the Crush: Collingwood Comfortably Beaten",
541:"Football: Permit Applications" (J. A. Cordner, Geelong to Collingwood),
279:
from 1902 to 1906, and was a prefect in 1905 and school captain in 1906.
692:
Lane, Daniel, "ANZAC hero Ted Larkin: The greatest sacrifice of all",
738:
Fallen â The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War
432:
List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service
344:, also played senior VFL football. Dr "Ted" was the father of the
845:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Joseph Alan Cordner (180)
588:
Melbourne, and his signature was witnessed by a "Captain John W.
707:
World War I Nominal Roll: Chaplains: Bennett, Thomas Pearse.
584:
Note: some accounts are mistaken: he enlisted for service
463:(University), Alan Cordner (Geelong and Collingwood),
321:, he played his first senior game for Collingwood, at
252:
in Ottoman Turkey during the initial invasion of the
526:"Poor Game at Geelong: University's Weak Forwards",
905:
Australian military personnel killed in World War I
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178:
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140:
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97:
85:
75:
60:
52:
47:
26:
890:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
808:: 13ÂŊ months after he was, at least, "missing").
612:See his father's comment on the AWM "Circular".
317:Cleared from Geelong to Collingwood on 9 April
633:World War I Nominal Roll: Cordner, Edward Rae.
207:Playing statistics correct to the end of 1914.
334:Laurence Osmaston "Larry" Cordner (1911â1992)
8:
360:who all played for Melbourne in the 1940s.
277:Hamilton and Western District Boys' College
437:List of Australian rules football families
256:peninsula by the forces of the First AIF (
32:
23:
885:Military personnel from Victoria (state)
397:investigation had been conducted by the
342:Dr. Edward Rae "Ted" Cordner (1887â1963)
448:
574:, (Monday, 15 September 1913), p. 12.
338:Dr. Henry "Harry" Cordner (1885â1943)
7:
757:, (Tuesday, 8 September 1914), p. 2.
748:, (Saturday, 29 August 1914), p. 17.
229:(6 May 1890 â 25 April 1915) was an
775:, (Tuesday, 2 November 1915), p. 4.
740:, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.
545:, (Thursday, 10 April 1913), p. 10.
14:
900:Collingwood Football Club players
819:Alan Cordner's playing statistics
766:, (Monday 25 October 1915), p. 5.
501:, (Monday 21 August 1911), p. 4.]
128:183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
910:Missing in action of World War I
784:, (Thursday 2 March 1916), p. 6.
515:, (Monday, 29 April 1912), p.11.
793:, (Saturday 3 June 1916), p. 3.
559:, (Monday, 19 May 1913), p. 12.
530:, (Monday, 10 June 1912), p. 5.
270:Bridgewater On Loddon, Victoria
802:, (Monday 12 June 1916), p. 5:
1:
895:Geelong Football Club players
744:Personal: Dr. Henry Cordner,
488:Main and Allen (2002), p. 44.
475:(Carlton and Melbourne), and
38:Private J.A. Cordner (from a
231:Australian rules footballer
21:Australian rules footballer
16:Australian rules footballer
926:
603:(see Service Record p. 2).
413:He is commemorated at the
336:, and two of his cousins,
694:The Sydney Morning Herald
457:the landing at Anzac Cove
378:13th Light Horse Regiment
298:, on Saturday, 19 August
258:Australian Imperial Force
243:Victorian Football League
239:Collingwood Football Club
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135:
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100:
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63:
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880:Australian Army soldiers
596:(as some assert) enlist
511:"Carlton in Fine Form",
384:, and served in France.
382:Royal Army Medical Corps
373:, for service overseas.
136:80 kg (176 lb)
497:Carlton Beats Geelong,
332:Cordner's half brother
219:AustralianFootball.com
275:Cordner attended the
235:Geelong Football Club
80:Bridgewater On Loddon
773:The Brisbane Courier
755:Warrnambool Standard
718:Warrnambool Standard
668:The Brisbane Courier
260:) on 25 April 1915.
48:Personal information
791:Warrnambol Standard
471:(South Melbourne),
233:who played for the
227:Joseph Alan Cordner
56:Joseph Alan Cordner
780:Collingwood Club,
696:, (18 April 2015).
670:, 2 November 1915.
658:, 25 October 1915.
601:Hamilton, Victoria
415:Lone Pine Memorial
646:, 29 August 1914.
248:He was killed at
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813:External links
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98:Place of death
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350:Denis Cordner
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323:Victoria Park
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155:Games (Goals)
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89:25 April 1915
86:Date of death
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61:Date of birth
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473:Fen McDonald
465:Claude Crowl
461:Rupert Balfe
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369:aboard HMAT
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358:John Cordner
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296:Princes Park
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154:
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91:(1915-04-25)
27:Alan Cordner
18:
875:1915 deaths
870:1890 births
467:(St Klda),
354:Ted Cordner
346:Don Cordner
304:1912 season
250:Cape Helles
185:Collingwood
103:Cape Helles
864:Categories
789:Personal,
753:Personal,
592:"; he did
477:Joe Pearce
409:Remembered
311:University
283:Footballer
215:AFL Tables
71:6 May 1890
67:1890-05-06
800:The Argus
782:The Argus
764:The Argus
746:The Argus
680:The Argus
656:The Argus
644:The Argus
572:The Argus
557:The Argus
543:The Argus
528:The Argus
513:The Argus
499:The Argus
443:Footnotes
399:Red Cross
254:Gallipoli
213:Sources:
180:1913â1914
162:1911â1912
107:Gallipoli
40:Red Cross
590:Hamilton
421:See also
371:Hororata
120:Hamilton
728:Sources
364:Soldier
327:Fitzroy
292:Carlton
245:(VFL).
241:in the
167:Geelong
264:Family
200:23 (2)
189:20 (2)
133:Weight
125:Height
388:Death
294:, at
194:Total
174:3 (0)
146:Years
101:near
42:file)
806:Note
356:and
340:and
319:1913
300:1911
237:and
150:Club
594:not
866::
598:at
586:in
459:â
401:.
352:,
348:,
217:,
109:,
105:,
804:(
172:0
69:)
65:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
