BIO

'Paddy' Knox was a Norwood premiership player who achieved great honours in Western Australia, where he was inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Born in Adelaide on 26 February 1868, he was vice-captain of Medindie in the junior association when recruited by Norwood in 1885.  Although only 17, he made an immediate impression and staked his place in the team as a reliable defender.

Norwood faced stern opposition after its early years of glory, conceding the premiership to Port Adelaide in 1884, South Adelaide in 1885 and Adelaide in 1886.  At the end of the 1886 season, however, 'Follower' in The South Australian Weekly Chronicle acknowledged Knox's "exceedingly cool and useful game".

In August 1887, Norwood was reduced to 19 men early in its clash with South after 'Paddy' suffered a badly cut face in a scrimmage and was taken from Adelaide Oval to the city for medical attention.  South's 7.5 to 5.6 victory left Norwood level with Port in the battle for the flag.  Norwood, however, easily beat Hotham in its last match to edge Port out of top place by one seventy-sixth of a point. It was first of three successive premierships for Norwood and the first of five flags for 'Paddy'.

He moved to Perth in 1888 and immediately became a force as a rover with Unions, where he played 17 games and enjoyed premiership success in 1889.  He then joined Fremantle and as captain celebrated premierships in 1890, 1892 and 1893. With 10 goals in 1893, he topped the WAFA list.  He played only occasionally in 1894, bringing to 48 his tally of games with Fremantle before the influx of leading Victorian footballers in 1895 persuaded him it was time to retire. He became a football administrator and the first Life Member of the WAFA/WAFL.

'Paddy', who had worked for D. & J. Fowler in Adelaide, established the business of A. G. and F. T. Knox with a cousin. Known as 'Leave it to me Knox', he was one of the founders of the Commercial Travellers' Association of WA, which he joined in 1903,  and a leading Freemason.

He was four days short of his 66th birthday when he died at East Fremantle on 22 February 1934, survived by his widow Christina Ellen, daughters Elsie (Smith) and Mabel (Northover), and son Vernon.  Another son, Norman, was killed in action in  World War I.

P Robins April 2018