BIO

John Roachock joined his tough and dependable older brother, Patrick, in a depleted Norwood team for its third clash with South Adelaide in 1886.

Originally named as an emergency, John came into the team with another newcomer, Alf Fry, and the veteran ‘Topsy’ Waldron, playing his first game of the season.  Norwood was particularly weakened by injuries to ‘Paddy’ McGrath and Charlie Chandler, the absence of Harry Rischbieth and Lloyd Gwynne, and the failure of ‘Guff’ Rawson to arrive from the country in time.  Beaten by Norwood in their two earlier encounters, South won a slow, error-riddled game 3.7 to 2.5.

That appears to have been John’s only senior appearance for Norwood, which finished the season second to Adelaide.

John Roachock was born at Sevenhill on 14 May 1864 to a Polish father, Tomasz Rucioch/Roachock, and an Irish mother, Mary Laughlin.   John was the second child after Patrick and then came Albert, Margaret, Thomas, Stanislaus and half-siblings Chrysostomus and Marianna.  John married Elizabeth Mary Boyd in Clare in 1896 and they had five children, Thomas, Patrick, Genevieve, Albert and Philomena. 

John died at Myrtle Bank in 1950 at the age of 86 and is buried at Murray Bridge Cemetery.

P. Robins, D. Cox October 2024