One of South Melbourne’s fallen heroes will be officially honoured and remembered at the Australian War Memorial on Wednesday.
Lieutenant Bruce Sloss, a South Melbourne great who played from 1910-1914, will be officially honoured at a wreath laying ceremony at the national cenotaph in Canberra.
At the end of each day, beginning at 4.55pm (AEST), visitors are farewelled by taking part in the Last Post Ceremony of which one of the 102,000 Australians who have been killed in times of war is remembered.
The Australian National Anthem is sung before a piper plays a lamentation while visitors are cordially invited to pay respects to the fallen with a wreath or floral tribute.
The honoured soldier’s story is told before the Ode is recited and Last Post performed.
In the case of Lt. Sloss, the story starts with his heroics on the football field and ends with his ultimate sacrifice in the fields of France.
Sloss started his VFL career playing two matches at Essendon before finding his way to Lake Oval where the midfielder excelled.
He would go on to play 81 matches for Souths before enlisting in Australian Imperial Army (10th Machine Gun Company) where the then 25-year-old would live out the rest of his days fighting on the Western Front.
His death, in early 1917, came as a result of shrapnel from a nearby shell explosion and was grieved heavily by everyone at the Club once the news reached home soil.
Sloss was a popular player, adored by teammates and club members, having been known as a talented chap who had industry smarts and could sing.
Athletic, agile, speedy and tall for the era Sloss could be likened to an olden day Josh Kennedy.
And he played his heart out.
Lt. Bruce Sloss captained the Third Australian Division in an exhibition game in London on October 28, 1916. The match is the earliest known organised game of Aussie Rules football played overseas.
Esteemed journalist John Worrall observed, in The Australasian, that Sloss “possessed all the qualities and is apt to attempt the impossible on occasions”.
This glowing praise came after South’s narrow defeat in the 1914 Grand Final against Carlton – arguably Sloss’ best game for the Club.
Trailing by 21 points at half-time, South (in particularly Sloss) stepped up to pin the margin back but fell short by only six points by the final siren.
Sloss led the resurgence and was judged best afield in front of 30,485 fans at the MCG.
“(Sloss) almost pulled the match of the fire by his brilliant efforts,” Worrall continued.
Lt. Sloss tasted football one last time after that crushing but honourable defeat.
There’s a photo of the man himself, standing proudly in a London sporting field decked out in an old style guernsey with a patch stitched on the front.
The patch was an image of Australia and was worn by members of the Third Australian Division who played an exhibition match against the Australian Training Units on October 28, 1916,
Lt. Sloss, who captained the side, was killed less than 10 weeks later.
Click here for more information and to join the Sydney Swans in commemorating one of our 19 fallen heroes.
Lieutenant Bruce Sloss.
