There has been confusion about the identity of John “Jack” Wilson, Wests First Grade player #394. He has been referred to as Joe Wilson by a number of rugby league sources but that is incorrect. There was a Joe Wilson who was a hooker that played for Canterbury in 1944. This player’s record has been combined with that of Jack Wilson. They are in fact two different players.
John “Jack” Wilson was born at Goulburn, NSW in 1921. He was educated at St Patrick’s College Goulburn and learned his football there.
Jack was a prominent schoolboy and junior rugby union and rugby league player. He captained the St Patrick’s College and junior Goulburn representative rugby teams in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. His on field play was regularly reported in the Goulburn and Canberra newspapers of the time.
He was touted as a future international but the war intervened and curtailed his progress as a player. Jack returned to rugby league after the war but towards the end of his life he fell on hard times. This is Jack Wilson’s story.
Jack Wilson (with ball) eluding Balmain’s Bob Lulham – April 1948
