{{short description|Australian rules footballer and journalist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Merv Agars | image = | fullname = Mervyn Stanley Agars<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1033319|title=World War Two Nominal Roll|publisher=Government of Australia|accessdate=16 February 2017}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date|1925|6|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Elliston, South Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|8|8|1925|6|12|df=y}} | death_place = Nuriootpa, South Australia | originalteam = Prince Alfred College | height = 186 cm<ref name="Who">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211327349 |title=Who's Who With South Aussies |newspaper=Call |location=Western Australia |date=11 August 1949 |accessdate=17 February 2017 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> | weight = 76 kg<ref name="Who" /> | position = Follower<ref name="Who"/> | years1 = 1946–1952 | club1 = West Adelaide | games_goals1 = 106 (92) | sooyears1 = 1948-1950s | sooteam1 = South Australia | soogames_goals1 = 8 | careerhighlights = *West Adelaide premiership player: 1947 *West Adelaide leading goalkicker: 1951 *SA Football Hall of Fame inductee: 2002 }}

'''Mervyn Stanley Agars''' (12 June 1925 – 8 August 2017) was an Australian rules footballer and journalist. He played with West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). An eight-time state representative, Agars went on to have a significant career in sports journalism and in 2002 was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.<ref name="SANFL">{{cite web|url=http://sanfl.com.au/sa-football-hall-of-fame/merv-s-agars/|title=Merv S Agars|publisher=Official website of the SANFL|accessdate=17 February 2017}}</ref> In 2018, Agars was posthumously inducted into the SA Media Awards Hall of Fame.

== Early life == Born to John and Margaret, on a sheep farm close to Elliston, South Australia, Agars grew up as one of 10 siblings, with seven brothers and two sisters.<ref name="Barossa">{{cite book|title=Barossa Village Grapevine|url=http://barossavillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/July-2016-Grapevine.pdf|edition=100|date=July 2016}}</ref> Aged 13, he began boarding at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide and studied there for three years before returning to the family farm.<ref name="Barossa" /> Towards the end of World War II, Agars served in the Air Force Reserve.<ref name="Barossa" />

== Career == Agars, a follower, began playing for West Adelaide in 1946 and in his second year of senior football was a member of their 1947 premiership team. He also played cricket for East Torrens and scored a century on his A-Grade debut in 1947.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article30505658 |title=Agars's First Century |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |location=South Australia |date=6 January 1947 |accessdate=17 February 2017 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1948, he joined ''The Advertiser'' and worked in the printing office, while he continued to play football for West Adelaide and at representative level for South Australia.<ref name="Barossa" /> He married his wife Margaret—the sister of state cricketer Phil Ridings—in a ceremony at an Anglican church in Adelaide in 1949.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130246016 |title=Today's Social News for Women |newspaper=The News |location=South Australia |date=19 April 1949 |accessdate=17 February 2017 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Agars topped the goalkicking at West Adelaide in 1951, his penultimate season.

Retired from football, Agars transferred to the editing section of ''The Advertiser'' in 1953 and began work as a sports journalist.<ref name="Barossa"/> He later became sports editor, a position he held for close to 20 years, the longest serving in the newspaper's history.<ref name="Stuff">{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/sport/4120054/Man-of-mystery-behind-the-much-loved-voice-of-sport|title=Man of mystery behind the much-loved voice of sport|last=Young|first=Eric|date=12 September 2010|publisher=Stuff.co.nz|accessdate=17 February 2017}}</ref>

During his journalism career, Agars covered four Summer Olympics.<ref name="Barossa"/> He is the author of the book ''West Adelaide Football Club, Bloods, Sweat and Tears'', a history of the club which was published in 1987.<ref name="SANFL"/>

''The Advertiser'' annually awards the Merv Agars Medal to the best player from the Australian Football League's two South Australian clubs.<ref name="Costal">{{cite news|url=http://www.coastalleader.com.au/story/1387132/for-the-love-of-the-game/|title=For the love of the game|last=Lawrie|first=Maddison|date=26 March 2013|work=Coastal Leader|accessdate=17 February 2017}}</ref>

== Personal life == One of Agars' West Adelaide teammates, Don Taylor, was his brother-in law, and a nephew, Leon Lovegrove, played in the club's 1961 premiership team.<ref name="Costal" />

Agars' son, Graeme, is a noted golf and tennis commentator.<ref name="Stuff" />

== Death == Agars retired and resided in the Barossa Valley until his death in 2017.<ref name="Barossa" />

==References== {{reflist|1}}

==External links== *{{AustralianFootball|ref=merv%2Bagars/545}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agars, Merv}} Category:1925 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia Category:West Adelaide Football Club players Category:South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Australian sports journalists Category:Australian newspaper editors Category:Journalists from South Australia