Bruce Sloss Bruce Moses Farquhar Sloss ( 21 January 1889 – 4 January 1917 ) was an Australian rules footballer who played as a follower with Essendon and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ( VFL ) , and with Brighton in the Victorian Football Association ( VFA ) . Early life . Bruce Sloss , the youngest son of James Davis and Christina Sloss , was born in East Malvern on 21 January 1889 . As he grew up , he was a keen footballer and cricketer , and he taught Bible classes at the Malvern Presbyterian Church — where his name appears on its " Roll of Honour " . He was handsome , stood tall , and had a wonderful tenor voice . Essendon . When just 18 , Sloss was invited to train with Essendon . He played his first match in round 2 of the 1907 season against Melbourne . He played one more senior match for Essendon that year , against Geelong , in round 8 ; and he played his third and last senior game for Essendon in round 2 of the 1908 season . Brighton . Having realized that he would not gain regular selection with Essendon , he left Essendon after that second round match and went to the VFA Club , Brighton . He played for Brighton for the remainder of the 1908 season , the entire 1909 season , and the first half of the 1910 season . In 1909 , he played for the VFA team that was beaten by 19 points by the South Australian Football League ( SAFL ) , 7 . 8 ( 50 ) to 4 . 7 ( 31 ) . He was one of the best on the ground for the VFA team . South Melbourne . South Melbourne took some time to obtain a VFL clearance permit for him to play with them . He was not able to play his first match for South Melbourne until the round 10 match of the 1907 season against Richmond . Playing as a follower , he was tallish for his era and somewhat lightly framed ; he was , however , renowned for his speed and agility , and for his high marking ability , and the accuracy of his long kicking . He played a number of representative games for Victoria , including playing for Victoria in the 1914 A . N . F . C . Carnival in Sydney . In his last VFL match , the 1914 Grand Final against Carlton — which Carlton won 6 . 9 ( 45 ) to an inaccurate South Melbourne ' s 4 . 15 ( 39 ) — Sloss ran himself into the ground , and nearly won the game off his own boot ; and , despite South Melbourne losing , many considered Sloss to be the best player on the ground . The eminent sporting journalist Jack Worrall — the former Australian Test cricketer and Fitzroy footballer , and the former Carlton coach and incumbent Essendon coach — writing in " The Australasian " , had this to say of Sloss ' s performance : Engineer . Sloss was employed as a maintenance engineer at a jam factory . He invented ( and patented ) a method for cutting melons into cubes that involved revolving circular wheels ( instead of fixed knife blades ) which prevented the fruit being reduced to a pulp . An article in " The Recorder " reported that his invention had " revolutionised the jam - making industry " . Soldier . Sloss enlisted in 1915 , and was trained as a machine - gun officer . He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 17 January 1916 , and was assigned to the 10th Machine Gun Company , First A . I . F . ( the unit in which his oldest brother Roy also served ) . The Unit arrived in England in July 1916 . Whilst the Unit was in camp ( on 3 September ) , Sloss was promoted to Lieutenant . Soldier and footballer . On Saturday 28 October 1916 , an Australian Rules football match was held between two teams of Australian servicemen in aid of the British and French Red Cross at Queen ' s Club , West Kensington . Sloss was the captain of the victorious Third Australian Divisional Team which beat the Australian Training Units team 6 . 16 ( 52 ) to 4 . 12 ( 36 ) ( see The VFL during the World Wars # . 22Pioneer Exhibition Game . 22 in London . 281916 . 29 ) . Death and burial . Sloss died instantly , behind the lines near Armentières , when a German shell landed near him , exploded and showered him with white - hot shrapnel on 4 January 1917 . He was 27 . He is buried at the Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery , Armentières , in Northern France .