Finch was a 1 time South Sydney Reserve Grade premiership winner in 1943, score 10 points in the grand final. He also played in the 1945 reserve grade premiership winning squad.
Before coming to South Sydney Finch was a professional sprinter from a young age. Murga Gift(near Orange NSW) in 1938. Finch was graded in 1938 by South Sydney. He made his senior grade club and premiership debut in the 1938 Round 2 Third Grade clash against Eastern Suburbs at the Sports Ground. He progressed up to reserve grade the following year in the 1939 Round 3 clash against Newtown at Henson Park. He would play lower grades until getting his opportunity to make his first grade club and premiership debut in the 1941 Round 7 clash against Balmain at Leichhardt Oval. Finch had been the leading pointscorer in the NSWRL reserve grade when promoted.
Finch was a winger of great pace. In 1941 Finch represented South Sydney in the leagues 100 yard championship. Finch clocked 9.7 seconds for 100 yards at the Sydney Cricket Ground. As a player while fast he had a timidity that held him back from playing more first grade games. Between 1941 and 1942 Finch enlisted and served as a Gunner in the 9th Australian Field Regiment.
Finch played 8 seasons with South Sydney between 1938 and 1945. He played 10 first grade club games for South Sydney which included 8 first grade premiership games and 1 first grade cup game. Overall he played 94 senior grade club games for South Sydney which included 92 senior grade premiership career games. He was a outstanding lower grade point scorer scoring 508 senior grade club career points for South Sydney.
In 1941 Finch represented NSW as one of the 4 fastest runners in the NSW v Queensland sprintchampionship.
Finch played his final first grade club and premiership match in the 1944 Round 5 clash against Balmain at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He played his final senior grade club and premiership match in the 1945 Round 14 clash against Balmain at the Sports Ground.
Representative Qualification NSW Country Date of Birth Hillston - 7th March 1919 (Died - 1991) Previous Clubs Professional Sprinter (1935-38) Military Service (1941-42) Army Gunner 9th Aust Field Regiment South Sydney RL (Cricket) (1943-44)
Playing Career at South Sydney (1938-45)
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1941 May 31 Rd07 Leic v Balmain (22y 85d)
First Grade
Premiership : City Cup : State Championship : Tour
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1941 4 4 - 2 - - 6 : : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1942 2 2 - - 2 - 4 : - - - - - - - : : 1 1 - - - - -
1943 - - - - - - - : : 1 1 - 1 1 - 5 : - - - - - - -
1944 2 2 - 1 6 - 15 : : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1945 - - - - - - - : : - - - - - - -
TOTAL 8 8 - 3 8 - 25 : - - - - - - - : 1 1 - 1 1 - 5 : 1 1 - - - - -
SS Cup 1 1 - 1 1 - 5
SS FG 10 10 - 4 9 - 30
South Sydney Senior Grade Debut
1938 Apr 25 Rd02 SSG v Eastern Suburbs (Third Grade)
1939 Apr 29 Rd03 Hens v Newtown (Reserve Grade)
Lower Grades
Reserve Grade : Third Grade :
Year M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts :
1938 - - - - - - - : 5 5 - - 1 - 2
1939 6 6 - 2 9 - 24 : 9 9 - 2 16 - 38
1940 4 4 - 2 6 - 18 : 8 8 - 3 23 - 55
1941 9 9 - 4 19 - 50 : - - - - - - -
1942 12 12 - 10 27 - 84 : - - - - - - -
1943 14 14 - 10 51 - 132 : 2 2 - 1 4 - 11
1944 8 8 - 2 18 - 42 : 5 5 - 2 6 - 18
1945 - - - - - - - : 2 2 - - 2 - 4
TOTAL 53 53 - 30 130 - 350 : 31 31 - 8 52 - 128
South Sydney Senior(FG/RG/3G) Grade Career
Premiership : Cup : All Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
CAREER 92 92 - 42 189 - 503 : 1 1 - 1 1 - 5 : 94 94 - 43 190 - 508
Short Form
Short-Game Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts
1943 - - - - - - -
TOTAL - - - - - - -
SS SF - - - - - - -
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
never
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE never
Representative Honours at South Sydney
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG none
After Leaving South Sydney
After retiring from Rugby League return to professional running winning the Labour-Day Leeton Gift in 1945. In 1954 he had turned to Golf winning the Public Gold Championship at Eastlakes.
Ref - RLP / ANC / NAA-49186 / FN-4 / FN-46
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