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    Norm Ware    

Number:

  4 Footscray

Western Bulldogs

Red white and Blue

Height:

  193

Weight:

   

Birthday:

  5 March 1911

Period on list:

  1932 to 1946

Senior Games:

  200

Goals:

  220

Disposals:

   

Recruited From:

  Sale 
Honours:  

Club Captain 1940-42, Brownlow Medal winner 1941. Club Best and Fairest winner 1934, 1937,1938, 1940 and 1941. senior coach 1942, 1943. Club leading goal kicker 1943 (51 goals). Member of team of the century. Victorian state representative 11 times.
         

Footscray

   He was signed up by a long-lost cousin and Bulldog supporter, beating favourite Carlton to his signature. He was smooth moving and plenty of skill in all departments. Great ball winner and champion. His football career was interrupted by the second world war. In the early part of the war he was stationed at Royal Park and could get some games in, however he was posted to WA in 1943 and the Soloman's during conflict. Learned of his Brownlow Medal win whilst at an army transit camp where they announced a Mr Warne had won the medal. He rang the newspaper to find that it was really him. Only captain coach ever to win the Brownlow. Made it back from the war in 1945 for the last match of the season and kicked 6 goals. Passed away in August 2003.  
Western Bulldogs   Vice Captain of club's first finals side in 1938. Very mobile player with a ton of pace. Dominated the centre ruck and boundary throw-ins and took copious marks around the ground. Often played at full-forward.

Geelong pulled out of the VFL during the second world war and it was open slather on ex-Geelong players in 1942. Ware is adamant that if the Bulldogs have of signed Geelong's  Lindsay White who was best mates with Harry Hickey and was breaking his neck to get to us, we would have won the premiership that year. White topped the VFL goal kicking that year with 80 goals.

  
         
    When he first started at the Bulldogs Alan Hopkins was his mentor as he was with all of the young players. When Hopkins quit he became the club's champion player. He was in the top 10 Brownlow count eight times. He was the Brownlow favourite several times before he won it in 1941. His last four seasons were interrupted by war. In 1945 he managed just one game in and in 1946 he played 16. He retired at the age of 35. "I didn't give up football, it gave me up," he said.  
     He remained a Bulldog supporter living locally in Ascot Vale. He passed away in August 2003.    
         
    A true son of the Scray and a saint to boot.  
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