John William Cassin (1 July 1915 – 3 September 1994) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) over eleven seasons in twelve years, and served as the captain coach of the Euroa Football Club in 1948, and of the Colac Football Club from 1949 to 1951. He served with the RAAF in World War II.

Family

The son of William John Cassin (1885–1928), and Margaret Evelyn Cassin (1887–1929), née Priestly, John William Cassin was born at Richmond, Victoria on 1 July 1915. He married Edna May Falcke (1915–1971) in 1941. One of their seven children, John, played for Essendon (1971–1974), North Melbourne (1977–1981), and Fitzroy (1981–1982) in the VFL, and West Torrens (1975–1976) in the SANFL.

Football

Seville (YVFA)

Cassin was recruited to Essendon from the Seville Football Club in the Yarra Valley Football Association, where he had won the team's trophy for "the most improved player" in the 1935 season.

Essendon (VFL)

Although he was residentially tied to Richmond, Richmond had expressed no interest in him. Also, some Fitzroy officials had gone to see him play the week before he was signed by Essendon (by former Essendon player and Committeeman Harry Gregory), and had left the match without even speaking to him. One of Essendon Second XVIII's best players in the opening round of the 1936 season (scoring 4 goals), in its match against North Melbourne, he made his senior debut, at centre half-forward (opposed to Carlton's centre half-back Gordon Mackie), against Carlton at Princes Park on the following Saturday, 9 May 1936, when Carlton thrashed Essendon 21.19 (145) to 5.13 (43), with Harry "Soapy" Vallence kicking 9 goals in what remains (as of April 2022) as Carlton's greatest ever winning margin against Essendon. Over his eleven seasons at Essendon, Cassin was mainly used in the first ruck, resting either in the forward-pocket or on the half-forward flank, combining well with Hugh Torney over Torney's last eight seasons (1936–1943) with Essendon, and his hard and tenacious style of play meant that he was a controversial figure during his career, often having to visit the tribunal and, even once, was attacked on the field by an angry opposition supporter.

6 July 1946

On 6 July 1946, Essendon defeated Carlton, 12.12 (84) to 9.9 (63), at Windy Hill.

Essendon Reserves

He retired from senior football at the end of the 1946 season; and, having withdrawn his application to coach the Hawthorn First XVIII, spent the entire 1947 season as captain-coach of the Essendon Reserves.

1947 VFL Grand Final

In September 1947, due to the extensive injuries of those on Essendon's senior list, Cassin was recalled to the senior team to play in the 1947 VFL Grand Final although he had not played a senior match in 1947; he was in good form, however, having been one of the best players in the Second's losing Preliminary Final team on the preceding Saturday. He replaced Gordon Lane, who had suffered leg and rib injuries in the preceding week's Preliminary Final. Playing in the first-ruck with Perc Bushby, Cassin, who scored a goal, was one of Essendon's best players in a team that, despite having 30 scoring shots to Carlton's 21, lost by a single point 11.19 (85) to 13.8 (86), with Carlton's half-forward flanker, Fred Stafford, scoring a left-foot goal in the last few moments of the match.

Euroa (WNEFL)

In 1948, he was appointed captain-coach of the Euroa Football Club in the Waranga-North-Eastern Football League. Euroa lost the 1948 WNEFL Grand-Final match against Seymour, at Avenel on 4 September 1948, by two points: 9.6 (60) to 7.20 (62).

Colac (HFL)

In 1949 he was appointed as the captain-coach of the Colac Football Club team, which had been founded in late 1948 specifically to compete in the Hampden Football League in the 1949 season. He coached the team for its first three seasons: 1949, 1950, and 1951.

After football

Having retired at the end of the 1951 season, he was succeeded as captain-coach by the ex-Footscray player George "Binga" McLaren. Cassin remained in Colac for the rest of his life.

VFL Tribunal

Career

His football record is impressive:

Military service

He served with the RAAF in World War II.

Death

He died at Colac, Victoria on 3 September 1994.