Fred Leach
John Frederick Leach was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League.
Family
The son of Thomas Leach, and Emma Bunkin Leach, née Stuckey, John Frederick Leach was born in Heidelberg, Victoria on 6 March 1878.Brothers
His two brothers, Arthur Thomas Leach and Edward Hale "Ted" Leach also played for Collingwood.Football
Leach was a centreman in the losing Grand Final side of 1901, but played at centre half-back in the 1902 premiership team.1899 team of "champions"
At the end of the 1899 season, in the process of naming his own "champion player", the football correspondent for The Argus, Reginald Wilmot, selected a team of the best players of the 1899 VFL competition:- Backs: Maurie Collins, Bill Proudfoot, Peter Burns.
- Halfbacks: Pat Hickey, George Davidson, Alf Wood.
- Centres: Fred Leach, Firth McCallum, Harry Wright.
- Wings: Charlie Pannam, Eddie Drohan, Herb Howson.
- Forwards: Bill Jackson, Eddy James, Charlie Colgan.
- Ruck: Mick Pleass, Frank Hailwood, Joe McShane.
- Rovers: Dick Condon, Bill McSpeerin, Teddy Rankin.