Career
Grace was part of Fitzroy"s premiership team in that season (although no Grand Final was played in the VFA at the time). In 1897, Fitzroy was one of the eight clubs to form the VFL as a breakaway competition from the VFA, and in 1898 and 1899, Grace was part of back-to-back VFL premierships with the Maroons. He was regarded as the best player on the ground in the 1898 Grand Final.
Grace was part of the Maroons" 1900 losing premiership side, then retired from playing.
In 1903, influential coach Jack Worrall persuaded Grace to return to the VFL for Carlton. Grace played for Carlton between 1903 and 1907.
Grace retired from the VFL again halfway through the 1907 season, and was set to play for Brighton in the VFA for the remainder of the season, before Worrall convinced him to return to Carlton for the successful finals campaign. Grace left Carlton again at the end of the 1907 season, and moved to Street Kilda where he played 16 games in 1908.
Grace also played four state games for Victoria.
Grace had a brief coaching career, serving as Street Kilda"s coach in 1908 while playing, and later coaching in Sydney. Grace was also a leading junior cricketer, representing the Combined Victorian Juniors against the Marylebone Cricket Club (Master Control Console) side during MCCs 1903/04 tour. Grace died in 1912, aged 37, from tuberculosis at Heidelberg.
