Introduction
Rod McGregor (19 October 1882 –2 August 1962) was an Australian rules footballer for the Carlton Football Club in the (then) Victorian Football League and, later, a broadcaster.
Family
Son of Alexander McGregor and Eliza McGregor, he was born on 19 October 1882. He married Alice May Bickford (1885-1963), the sister of Albert Bickford and Edric Bickford, in 1911.
Football
Equally skilled with both feet, and an outstandingcentreman with the ability to pass accurately to team-mates and elude opponents, he played his first senior match with Carlton, against Collingwood, on 13 May 1905 (round 2), aged 22, and played his 236th and last senior match, against St Kilda, on 1 May 1920 (round 1), aged 37 — his knee was injured and he was forced to retire.
1905-1912
He played in the 1906 and 1908 winning grand final sides and missed the 1907 premiership triumph over South Melbourne after breaking his nose in the previous week's semi final against St Kilda.
1913
During the 1912 Preliminary Final, Mcgregor was not playing well, and the team's captain asked him to play on the forward line. McGregor refused. For disobeying the captain, the Carlton Committee suspended McGregor from the Carlton team for 12 months; and, at the same time, refused to grant him a clearance.
- "Late in the [1912 Preliminary Final], Carlton skipper Jack Wells told McGregor to push forward, but [McGregor] refused and the pair argued heatedly. Later, the matter was raised at committee level, and it was decided to make an example of one of the club’s favourite sons. McGregor was suspended for twelve months, sparking a furore within, and outside the club. To his immense credit, McGregor refused to inflame the issue, and while he did train for some time at [VFA club] North Melbourne, his heart was always with the Blues and he was back again, aged 30, in 1914."
1914-1920
Following his suspension, he played his first match (his 146th career game), against South Melbourne, on 16 May 1914 (round 4), aged 30.
Broadcaster
Working on-air with Melbourne radio station 3LO as early as 1927, McGregor was a pioneer of football radio broadcasts.
Australian Football Hall of Fame
In 1996 McGregor was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.