Gordon Lane

Gordon Lane
Personal information
Full name Gordon Francis Lane
Date of birth 30 May 1921
Place of birth Essendon, Victoria
Date of death 21 July 1973(1973-07-21) (aged 52)
Place of death Moorabbin, Victoria
Original team(s) Essendon United
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 91 kg (201 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1940–1949 Essendon 131 (256)
1950–1952 South Melbourne 047 0(94)
Total 178 (350)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1950–1952 South Melbourne 55 (24–29–2)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1952.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Gordon Francis 'Whopper' Lane (30 May 1921 – 21 July 1973) was an Australian rules footballer who represented the Essendon and South Melbourne in the VFL. He played as a forward with a strong overhead mark and was rated by Jack Dyer in 1946 as 'the best centre half forward in the game'.

He is best remembered for his performances in Essendon's Grand Finals of the 1940s. In the 1942 final he kicked six goals and in 1946 kicked seven.

Lane missed out on a chance to play in another Grand Final in 1947 due to him breaking his ribs in the preliminary final. He was injured again the following season, this time it was his knee and he moved to South Melbourne in 1950 where he would be both captain and coach for three years.