BIO

Harold Page played his first game for Norwood aged 18 in 1929, a year that saw the death of club great “Topsy” Waldron and the opening of the Sir E.T. Smith Memorial Pavilion.
He went on to play another 138 games, mainly as a “brilliant” centre half-back, and eight State games before retiring at 29 having gained a reputation as a courageous and tireless defender.  A commentator of the day asked “Does Harold Page ever get tired?”

Page won a number of awards from Norwood during his 11 year career: “best trained” 1931, 1937, 1939, “best placed man” 1933, 1934, “best backman” 1935, 1936, 1938.  He also served on the NFC Committee in 1933 and 1934 and in 1940 he was granted League life membership.

It was reported in March 1938 that “Norwood’s loss of last year’s players appears to be confined to H. Page whose injured knee is not likely to stand the strain of serious training and playing.”

It is perhaps a measure of the man that in the 1938 season in which he played all but one game Norwood named him “best backman” and he also won State selection.
At the start of the following season it was written that “Page is valiantly holding the centre half-back position under difficulties which ordinarily would compel a less enthusiastic and stout- hearted player to retire”.
 
This proved prophetic as he was restricted to eight games in 1939, his last season for Norwood.  His enthusiasm had not diminished though being named as “best trained” by Norwood for that year.

It was not the end of his involvement in football.  He was appointed coach of University in the S.A. Amateur League in 1940 and of Norwood Union in 1945 – the club he had played for as a junior. 
 
He subsequently coached the State Amateur League side having charge of the team which won the Australian Amateur carnival in Perth in 1948.


G Williams May 2013