The son of Frank Rudolph and Eliza Rudolph, née Barrett, George Ernest Rudolph was born in Steiglitz, Victoria on 29 April 1901. He married Edna Mary Maud White on 14 April 1928.
Having played with Camberwell Districts, and with the East Burwood Football Club in 1918 and 1919, he was recruited by the VFA club Hawthorn. He played his first match on 10 July 1920 and played a total of 13 games, scoring seven goals in two seasons.
Richmond (VFL)
Granted a permit in May 1922, by Hawthorn to play with Richmond, Rudolph only played three matches with the Richmond First XVIII before he left to play country football.
St. James
On leaving Richmond, he played with the St. James Football Club in the Benalla-Yarrawonga Line Football Association for the remainder of the 1922 season.
Lang Lang
In 1923, he played with the Lang Lang Football Club, coached by Harry Harker, in the Berwick District Football Association.
Richmond (VFL)
He returned to Richmond in 1924. On 2 May 1925, he was one of the Richmond team that played against his old club, Hawthorn, in its first-ever VFL match. A Victorian interstate representative, he appeared in seven finals over the course of his career, including the 1927 VFL Grand Final and 1928 Grand Final. Rudolph played both premiership deciders from centre half-forward but Richmond didn't win either.
In 1929, two new teams, Oakleigh and Sandringham, were admitted to the Victorian Football Association competition. Along with Geelong's Eric Fleming, St Kilda's Wal Gunnyon, Essendon's Frank Maher and Chris Gomez, and Richmond's Fred Goding, Rudolph went to the Oakleigh in 1929 without a clearance from the VFL. However, another ex-Essendon player, Vince Irwin, who also went to Oakleigh in 1929, did receive a clearance from South Bendigo Football Club, with whom he had played in the Bendigo Football League in 1927 and 1928. Rudolph was a member of Oakleigh's inaugural VFA premiership teams in 1930 and 1931, as a centre half-back in the latter.
In 1932, Oakleigh appointed ex-Collingwood footballer Harry Chesswas as its captain-coach; and, in 1933, in promoting Eric Fleming to the position of the team's captain-coach, the club also informed Rudolph that "should he desire a clearance to any other club it would be granted on his application". Oakleigh cleared Rudolph cleared to Coburg in March 1933. He played in 24 games as centre half-back that season, including the ferocious Grand Final—eight players, including Rudolph, were reported for 14 different offences—in which Coburg lost to Northcote, 9.16 to 11.21. Rudolph was appointed captain-coach of Coburg in 1934.
In 1936, he moved to Tasmania, and played with the New Town Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League. In his last match, he was reported, found guilty of the charge, and suspended for one week. Without Rudolph in its team, New Town lost the 16 August 1939 elimination final match to Lefroy, 8.10 to 9.11. Due to his enlistment in the Second AIF in June 1940, he was no longer available for selection at New Town. In 1940 he was the coach of various AIF teams in Tasmania.
Reports and suspensions
According to Hogan, Rudolph was "a fiery player came under the notice of umpires on several occasions receiving a total of 61 weeks in suspensions in his career".
1928 : charged with unseemly conduct in having thrown the football at Geelong's Eric Fleming on 1 September 1928.
*The charge was dismissed.
1930 : charged with tripping Coburg's Hugh Donnelly on 21 June 1930. The charge was dismissed.
1933 : charged with striking Williamstown's Cairo Dixon on 6 May 1939.
*Although sustaining the charge, the Tribunal acknowledged that Rudolph had been provoked and decided that, under the circumstances, " a penalty of two weeks suspension would be recorded, … it would be suspended subject to no charge being brought against him and proved within a period of two years".
