Frank McMillan

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Frank McMillan
fullname = Franklin McMillan
nickname = Skinny


caption =
dateofbirth = Dec 14th, 1899
placeofbirth = Menindee, New South Wales
countryofbirth =
dateofdeath = Dec 26th, 1966
placeofdeath = Taree, New South Wales
countryofdeath =
height =
weight =
position = Fullback
club1 = Western Suburbs
year1start = 1921–1924
year1end =
appearances1 =
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 =
club2 = Western Suburbs
year2start = 1926–1935
year2end =
appearances2 = 148
tries2 =
goals2 =
fieldgoals2 =
points2 = 238
club3 = Balmain Tigers
year3start = 1925
year3end =
appearances3 = 12
tries3 =
goals3 =
fieldgoals3 =
points3 = 34
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1922–1934
yearAend =
appearancesA = 22
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 4
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1929–1934
yearBend =
appearancesB = 9
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 0
updated =
source =
new = yes

Frank McMillan (1899 - 1966) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a full-back for the Australian national team and played in nine Tests between 1929 and 1934, two as captain. McMillan has since been named amongst the nation's finest players of the 20th century.

Club career

McMillan was born in Menindee, New South Wales and was graded with the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1921. He played fourteen seasons of first grade rugby league all with Wests, aside from the 1925 season which he spent playing for the Balmain Tigers.

During McMillan's long career Wests were premiers in season 1930 and 1934 and runners-up in 1932. He was captain-coach of Wests in season 1934.

Representative career

He made his New South Wales representative debut in 1922 and 12 years later he was still the state's preferred fullback. He made 22 New South Wales appearances.

His debut national selection was for the 1929-30 Kangaroo Tour of England and Wales. He played in four Tests and 22 minor tour matches. He was the first Australian international representative to come from the Parramatta juniors.

In 1932 he played in all three Tests of the domestic Ashes series.

For the 1933-34 Kangaroo Tour, McMillan was named as captain-coach following Herb Steinohrt's withdrawal. Australia lost the series 3-0 with McMillan captaining the side in the 1st and 3rd Tests and in 19 minor tour matches including a demonstration match in Paris where rugby league was introduced to France.

Accolades and playing style

McMillan's opposing captain and fullback for the 1933 series was British rugby league legend Jim Sullivan. Both players ended their representative careers in the 3rd Test at Swinton. The Andrews' reference reports that when the two had met earlier in the four Tests of the 1929 series some critics rated McMillan's performances as superior to those of the extraordinary Sullivan. [Andrews quote (The ABC of Rugby League) p455] .

Whiticker's reference suggests that McMillan revolutionised Australian fullback play and quotes rugby league scribe Tom Goodman: "McMillan began the era of the 'running' fullback. If not the pioneer of attacking play, then certainly the most exciting crowds had seen. He would make daring bursts from his own goal-line, he exploited the "scissors" move with team-mates, he used the punt sparingly but skillfully, and although he is not rated in the same heights as Churchill, as a fullback, whose defence equalled his brilliant attack, he made many gallant tackles of big men" [Whiticker quote (Captaining The Kangaroos) p97] .

In September 2004 McMillan was named at fullback in the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century. In February 2008, McMillan was named in the list of Australia's "100 Greatest Players" (1908-2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. [cite news|author=Peter Cassidy |publisher="Macquarie National News"|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players |url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23] [cite web|publisher="NRL & ARL"|title=Centenary of Rugby League - The Players |url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23]

Post playing

He coached Western Suburbs in 1936 and 1945. In 1947 he was the foundation coach of the newly introduced Parramatta Eels.

Playing career

References

* Whiticker, Alan (2004) "Captaining the Kangaroos", New Holland, Sydney
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* "100 Greatest Players magazine liftout" , Daily Telegraph (23Feb2008) , News Ltd, Surry Hills, Sydney

Footnotes