Thomas Geiser: Played 101 games and kicked 31 goals between 1921 and 1926. The West Melbourne secretary even wrote to the Williamstown Chronicle (see below) to complain about the behaviour of the 'Town players and supporters, and stated that 'during the whole of the game the Williamstown team played very roughly, and at times very unfairly, 2 or 3 of them being very conspicuous in this part of the game. He came ashore each day to work on construction of the sea walls and later on the artillery bunkers adjacent to the cricket ground. 300 copies of the Victorian Rules were printed and distributed amongst the various clubs. Buchanan' referred to in the article is John Buchanan, who would later die by drowning along with five colleagues in the Spotswood sewerage tunnel disaster on Good Friday, 1895, aged 38. A listing of players to have played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League, previously known as the VFA. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. Alfred Thomas Clark resumed as president in 1873 and would remain in that role until 1875. It was decided at a meeting of junior clubs held at Hansen's Hotel on Bourke Street in April of 1876, that the winner of the Junior Challenge Cup, to be contested by Fawkner, Sandridge Alma, St Kilda Alma, South Park, South Melbourne, Windsor and Williamstown, would be decided by the awarding of points for wins (2 points) and draws (1 point), a system that would beeventually adopted by the VFA in the late 1880's. Williamstown finished fourth on the list of 'leading junior clubs' at the end of 1875, winning 5 games out of the 9 played, with 3 draws and just the one loss, in the best result in the Club's brief history. Four Williamstown men have been President of the Victorian Football Association James Hall (1901-02), J.J. Liston (1929-44, he of the Liston Medal and Liston Stakes and the second-longest serving VFA president), John Grieve (1989-1992) and Tony Hannebery (1993-94, former player, 10-year President of WFC and former All-Australian Amateur footballer). Captain and back pocket player in the 1907 premiership win over West Melbourne. John Alexander Springhall senior became just the second president of the Club in 1872 for one year only, replacing Alfred Thomas Clark who had been in the role in 1870 and 1871 but Clark returned to the position in 1873. There were a number of meetings of interested clubs before the Victorian Football Association (VFA) was formed on May 7, 1877, to promote and extend football throughout the colony and to facilitate inter-colonial contests, but this did not bring about the administrative reforms that were expected, eg secretaries of senior clubs refused to relinquish their right to draw up the season's programme as they were of the view that this was a 'club matter'. There is anecdotal evidence that an earlier match took place at St Kilda between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar on 5 June, 1858, but this cannot be verified. The modern Australian code can be traced back to these original 'Melbourne rules', which quickly became the 'Victorian rules' and, eventually, 'Australian Rules', and made Australian football the oldest codified form of football in the world. The founding committee were of the belief that football was not only a good way for cricketers to stay fit over winter but that organised sport helped instil British values, imported from English public schools, of self-sacrifice for a greater cause (for the team and, by extension, the country), that a healthy mind went hand-in-hand with a healthy body, and that such qualities helped make an athlete a role model that others in society could emulate. SJ Fowler was one of the early secretaries and one of their first captains was Johnny Rees, a former Williamstown player. Some 500 of the Parkites' usual spectators, consisting of the real larrikin element of Emerald Hill, mustered upon this occasion to obstruct in every possible way the Williamstown players. After the game we were followed to the station by a motley crew who hooted their indignation at us for having beaten the Williamstown. var addy411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef = 'admin' + '@'; addy98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc = addy98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au'; Reid was a founding player and also first secretary of the Alliance Cricket Club. We are reaching out to the families or next of kin to contact the club as soon as possible. A solid defender who joined the club from Collingwood. T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, sweat pants, hats, mugs and more. Harrison acted as codifier of a final list of thirteen rules, which were signed off by the representatives of Melbourne (Harrison and R.W. What's new. June 19, with Trott the only multiple goalkicker. A time period was set for matches instead of the team scoring the first two goals being declared the winner. Wills committed suicide on May 2, 1880, aged just 44. This list may not reflect recent changes. The club was initially considered a junior club, before being granted senior status in 1884. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. The 'Rules of Football' as drawn up at the meeting at the Argus Hotel on May 28, 1860, where a Williamstown delegate was present. Appointed coach for the 1913 season and remained as captain in 1914. Two other sons, Jack and Percy, also played for 'Town, in 1909 and 1928, respectively. Mr James Arthur Thompson, who played for the Club in the 1860's & 1870's, was instrumental in affecting the reorganisation of the football club once again in 1870, and it was reported in The Argus on May 23 that 'a meeting of the club will be held at the Mechanics Institute on Tuesday next for the purpose of thoroughly organising the club'. As Cricket Club secretary in 1888, Thompson was responsible for drawing up the agreement under which the Football Club agreed to use the cricket ground for home games following the merger with South Williamstown. Arthur 'Porky' Sykes: Played 124 games and kicked 4 goals between 1926 and 1934. Amazingly, 21 goals were kicked during the season with just one major scored against the Villagers. Thompson was also a long-serving member of the Williamstown Cricket Club, and was its secretary in 1888 when he drew up the agreement by which the football club finally agreed to utilise the present cricket ground for all their home games after the merger with South Williamstown. The 1888 Victorian Football Association season was the 12th season of the Australian rules football competition. However, the Chronicle reported on May 7, 1870, that 'steps are being taken to reorganise the Williamstown Football Club.' Although odd matches had been played there in the past, including a game against Carlton on 17 August, 1878, that attracted more than 5,000 spectators, most fixtures were played on the Market Reserve. The following 51 players, officials and volunteers were announced as the inaugural inductees tthe Williamstown Football Club Hall of Fame. linktr.ee/Williamstownfc. Reels. Clarke and Chadwick) and South Yarra (G. O'Mullane and H. Murray). TRAILBLAZERS: 1864 - 1900. His new set of ten rules became the code under which most other clubs eventually played and earned Harrison the title of 'The Father of Football'. Another brother, Jack, played in 1880. A listing of players to have played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League, previously known as the VFA. The invitation to participate in formulating rule changes for season 1860 would not have been extended to the Williamstown Club if it did not exist or was not regarded as a bona-fide team by the Melbourne Football Club, which called the meeting. Williamstown Chronicle, August 5, 1871 - a report of the game against Wesley College on July 29 which resulting in the Villagers' first recorded victory, 3 goals to NIL. On May 17, 1859, a committee of MCC members including William J. Hammersley (a sports journalist), James B. Thompson (an Argus journalist and secretary of the Melbourne FC), Thomas H.Smith (headmaster of Scotch College) and Tom W. Wills, met at the same hotel and agreed to authorise Wills' cousin, Henry Harrison, to draw up a set of rules based on rugby but modified to suit local conditions. With 104 members, a good ground, sound administration, the Challenge Cup and a Seconds and Thirds teams, it seemed that Williamstown was due for senior status, but that would not happen until 1884, despite secretary Duncan McLeod's best efforts. The language of these unwelcome visitors was anything but select at times.'. Another local club, North Williamstown, emerged in 1879 and, although destined to be no more than a junior club, it nevertheless made its mark on local football history by fielding three teams and producing a number of senior players for Williamstown and other clubs. The Williamstown Football Club is looking to acknowledge the service of these past players. *The award was then known as The Recorder Cup. Another son, Alby snr, played for Footscray in both the VFA and VFL, while his son (Charlie's grandson), Alby jnr, played in Williamstown's 1955 and 1956 premiership sides. Bert Reitman: Played 126 games and kicked 10 goals between 1907 and 1914. About 100 clubs were now playing in Victoria, including 70 junior and school teams in Melbourne and about 10 junior clubs in Geelong. It was reported in the Williamstown Chronicle of April 20, 1878, following the annual meeting in respect of the 1877 season, held at the Mechanics Institute on April 17, that'on a great many occasions not more than 10 of the team chosen put in an appearance, the average for the season being about 15 per match'. Henry Harrison, captain of Richmond (1861), Melbourne (1861 and 1863-1871), and Geelong (1862 & 1868), was the codifier of the revised rules of 1866. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3ZLxQ_ObA&feature=related. document.getElementById('cloakbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9').innerHTML = ''; The 1886 Victorian Football Association season was the 10th season of the Australian rules football competition. In 1872, the Chronicle reported that, of the ten matches played by the Club that season, four games were won, three were lost and three were drawn. The identities of the two players is unknown but it is the oldest photo in the Club's collection. 1864 (merged with South Williamstown 1888) Colours Royal blue and yellow. Leo Maloney: Played 107 games and kicked 115 goals between 1959 and 1964. Official Instagram page of the Williamstown Football Club. FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF THE FABULOUS HISTORY OF THE WILLIAMSTOWN FOOTBALL CLUB FROM 1880 TO THE PRESENT DAY, PLEASE REFER TO THE RESPECTIVE DECADES UNDER THE 'HISTORY' TAB. J. The result was decided in the last game of the season against South Melbourne at Albert Park which resulted in a 2-0 win to Williamstown. The Cup itself was long-lost until discovered in 1995 in the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum (now the Australian Sports Museum) at the MCG by James Grzonek, son of Club historian, Ray Grzonek, during a casual visit to the museum. Riggall had also played for Royal Park in 1865. John Ramsay Games: 125 Goals: 6 Team of the . A letter to the editor of the Williamstown Chronicle in the edition dated August 12, 1871 (refer above), stated that 'some years ago a site was granted to the borough council of Williamstown for market purposes, but instead . it was let to some private person for grazing their cattle and horses on. These were four of the 9 games played during the season, of which only 2 were won, 5 lost and 2 drawn. VFLW & VFLW Practice Match Squads Announced. Ted Alley: Played 160 games and kicked 20 goals between 1905 and 1915. The annual report of the football club for 1914 refers to it being a 'jubilee' year, meaning the 50th year of existence, which puts its formation as 1864. The Argus of June 23 1873 stated that 'the Williamstown ground, which is .. one of the worst that could be selected for football purposes, as independent of being almost a quagmire, it is covered in different places with large pieces of bluestone which makes it very dangerous to play upon.' Williamstown Football Club | 1 034 fljare p LinkedIn. We need your help! var addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 = 'admin' + '@'; It has been argued by some that an indigenous form of football called marn-grook influenced Tom Wills, who incorporated its elements into the 'Melbourne' rules. 'Town defeated a St Kilda team of only 13 players two goals to nil at Williamstown on June 23. Click on the link below to view one of Bruce Davis' productions on the early days of the Williamstown Football Club, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgXixsEPKM8&feature=youtu.be. A great foot. In the return match at Williamstown on July 2 1866, after Carlton's Jim Williams kicked the opening goal, William Rigall, a Melbourne and Carlton player who had agreed to play for Williamstown as an emergency, broke his leg after being thrown into the picket fence by Carlton's Frank Hillsden and the game was abandoned. Tom Wills umpired the game, which had no marked boundary line and the goals were approximately a mile apart. Below is Shortty's recollections of his involvement with the Gulls Coterie and the Football Club in general, over the journey. Williamstown has proved a great training ground for coaches as well. The crowd also encroached on the ground and interfered with the play, any good play on the part of our team being hooted in a shameful manner. Furthermore, in the Williamstown Chronicle of Saturday, 16 June, 1860, (see below) Williamstown Alliance invited interested locals to meet at their ground, Market Reserve, for football practice. Williamstown had an indifferent season but did manage to play a game against Melbourne which was lost, 2.0 to 0.1. The trophy, which had been presented to the then-president of the Club, Cr John Jobson, by members of the victorious team at a dinner in the Oddfellows Hall, had been purchased by the museum in late 1993. The game against East Melbourne on July 6 was moved to the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve owing to 'the wet state of the Market Reserve' as was the game against South Yarra Seconds on July 27. Litchfield was at home when kicking the ball either left or right foot and he often puzzled his opponents when they thought they had him in a corner by the dexterity in which he would get rid of the leather.'. addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 = addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au'; 1959 Premiership player, represented VFA in 1960, played in 1961 and 64. I am informed that a deputation from the local football club waited on Mr. Withers, the lessee, asking for the use of the ground to play a match on, which request was refused.' Royal Park also emerged in May, 1862, along with an Essendon/Flemington combination, followed by Eastern Hill (East Melbourne) in 1863. The Captain, Bob Waycott, and vice-captain, John Charles Frederick Ulbrick, who were both re-appointed at the meeting for the 1878 season, instituted a fine of one shilling for players who failed to turn up for games without a valid excuse. This statue has been located in the Gardens since 1891, following Clark's death at sea in 1888. Military Wiki. At the annual meeting held in respect of the 1879 season at the Mechanics Institute on April 7, 1880, E.G. The Argus newspaper confirmed on 29 May, 1860, (see below) that a Williamstown delegate was invited along with eight fellow delegates to the meeting. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. var addy_text411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloak411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef').innerHTML += ''+addy_text411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef+'<\/a>'; 2015 Williamstown Footbal Club - Site design by AdTorque Edge. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Best players for the Villagers were John Buchanan, John Alexander Springhall jnr, W. Tickell, C. Payne and Horace Norman. Ajax, in full Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax, also called AFC Ajax, Dutch professional football (soccer) club formed in 1900 in Amsterdam. In 1874, the Club played 12 matches, six of which were won, three were lost and three drawn. 471 following. B&F winner 1963, Member of the Seagulls' 1960's Team of the Decade. Arthur Caldwell: Played 157 games and kicked 4 goals between 1897 and 1910. This is confirmed in a report in the Chronicle of May 15 1874 that 'it was resolved to adopt a knickerbocker uniform of blue and white'. There is only a three-rail fence around it, and no notice up cautioning persons not to trespass, and it is generally believed that the reserve is a public one. The Melbourne Football Club was re-formed on May 14, 1859, at the Parade Hotel, East Melbourne, (later named the MCG Hotel) after a scratch match against South Yarra on Richmond Paddock (now known as Yarra Park). William J. Hammersley (a sports journalist), James B. Thompson (an Argus journalist and secretary of the Melbourne FC), Thomas H.Smith (headmaster of Scotch College) and Tom W. Wills, as well as J. Sewell (Melbourne FC treasurer), Alex Bruce and T. Butterworth. In effect, this meant that clubs could control promotion to, and relegation from, the senior grade by the simple process of including a strong junior team in the senior fixtures, and little progress was made over the next few years due to the selfish club interests which prevented such things as paid umpires, points for wins and draws, boundary umpires, independent tribunals for reported players and a properly drawn-up fixture. St Kilda amalgamated with University in late June of 1875 when it became unable to field a team. Jack Litchfield then became secretary in 1874 and 1875. Andrew Rider, a photographer, stationer and newsagent located at 55 (now 177) Nelson Place, Williamstown, from 1863-96 took this portrait which is described on the State Library of Victoria website as being of 't. A. Fowler was elected captain of the Second Twenty with three vice-captains in Litchfield, Percy and Jamieson. With the demise of the Williamstown Alliance Cricket Club, which amalgamated with the older Williamstown Cricket Club in 1861, it is possible that the football club merely went into recess until 1864 or that any matches that did occur in this period were simply not reported on by the newspapers of the day. (Jack) Field Medal winners: Best and Fairest in Second Division Ian Nankervis (1968) and Colin Boyd (1976), To see all williamstown premiership sides please click on the link belowPremiership Photos, To see williamstown football club team of the century click on the link belowWilliamstown team of the century. Trevor Monti wrote the first official summary of the Kelly trial which was published in 1981 and he has maintained an intense interest in the bushranger ever since. Directly the ball was sent on its journey no less than twenty individuals rushed from the crowd and made themselves as conspicuous in the match as their friends, the Park club. The 'J. The other game against a senior team was a one-nil loss at St Kilda on May 25 when the Saints started off with just nine players but picked up enough substitutes to eventually muster sixteen men. We are hosting our first Golf Day in Feb 2023 at Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club. T. Crane was appointed captain of the Second Twenty for 1878 with C. Hernan vice-captain. var addy_textbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloakbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9').innerHTML += ''+addy_textbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9+'<\/a>'; 2015 Williamstown Footbal Club - Site design by AdTorque Edge. A notable change to the game occurred in 1879 when behinds were registered for the first time although they still weren't counted in the result and the winner was still the side that kicked the most goals. Kelly was just 17yo when he was imprisoned from June 1873 to January 1874 on the floating prison hulk, Sacramento, which was docked at Pt Gellibrand. By 1875, there were 96 Australian Rules football clubs in Melbourne and its suburbs and 42 clubs in regional areas. . By Paddy Farley The VFL side will take on the Northern Bullants at Highgate Recreation Reserve this Saturday at 10:45am. For some unknown reason, the Club did not appear to continue with the 'Third Twenty' in 1877. By 1876, The Argus considered 'the Club to be in a very flourishing condition, no less than 102 members being on the books, whereas in past seasons the number has scarcely passed the half century'. The first record of Williamstown winning a game was reported in the Chronicle on August 5, 1871, when it defeated Wesley College three goals to nil a week earlier (refer report below). They provide training for girls, and there are various three-day football camps throughout the year. Another local club, North Williamstown, emerged in 1879 and, although destined to be no more than a junior club, it nevertheless made its mark on local football history by fielding three teams and producing a number of senior players for Williamstown and other clubs. Eventually in 1883, at the first intercolonial football convention, a revised version renamed 'The Laws of the Australian Game of Football' was adopted by delegates from South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria. Although he was an excellent player, Wills concentrated on the organisastional side of the game and put in a terrific amount of work starting new clubs around Victoria and in adjacent colonies, and the advancement of the game suffered a great blow with his untimely death in 1880. In total, 5 games were played in the 1871 season, 2 of which were won and 3 lost. He added that 'there are no reports about matches played by Booroondara or Williamstown'. Players Profile VFL. There was also an issue of players simply failing to turn up for games. Further evidence as to the origins of Williamstown Football Club being attributable to 1860. There was also a return match at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve against St Kilda on July 19 which was won two goals to NIL but, as the Williamstown Chronicle of July 26 reported, the Saints 'had a very weak team, several of their best players not turning up.' The article went on to state that 'the first match of the season was appointed to take place on the Queen's Birthday', which was a scratch match. Main Page . Monday-Friday: 9am to 5pm; Satuday: 10am to 2pm. As scores were tied at one goal each, the game was resumed two weeks later and, when no goals were scored, the game was adjourned until September 4. The first secretary-treasurer was John Christison, the first captain J. Doull and D. Dorgan vice-president. The Second Twenty had a more successful season, playing 9 matches of which five were won, two lost with two draws. Bob Waycott was captain and P. Conroy vice-captain. Click to see who will be lining up this weekend for Williamstown. Played back pocket in the 1921 premiership win over Footscray at the Brunswick Street Oval in Fitzroy. A rover in the Seagulls 1921 premiership win over Footscray. The new competition included seven clubs with senior status (Melbourne, Carlton, Hotham, Albert Park, St Kilda, Geelong and Barwon) and many junior teams, but only the senior teams qualified for the VFA premiership, which was taken out by Carlton. There was an important meeting in the history of the game on May 8, 1866, at the Freemasons Hotel which was chaired by Henry Harrison, when club delegates undertook a revision of the original 'Melbourne' 1859 rules, which were refined and supplemented, the key changes relating to running and carrying the ball and bouncing it at intervals. There was also a 1 goal (kicked by Will Outen) to NIL victory over senior team, Richmond, at Royal Park on September 4. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. An important change was made in the rules just before the 1869 season began. New captain, D. McCallum, who had replaced Horace Norman in this season, led his men off the field in protest when he failed to have the umpire changed after a bad decision. Williamstown played a number of other junior teams in 1865, including games against H.M. Customs, captained by Henry Harrison, on August 5 (result unknown) and a team from the Richmond district called Union, but its first recorded match took place against Carlton at Royal Park on July 15 which resulted in a 2-0 loss (only goals were recorded and the best of three goals decided the winner). 'Town kicked 4 goals and had 9 goals scored against them. In the return match at Williamstown on July 13, St Kilda sent a telegram saying they had only 11 players at the railway station and the match was abandoned. Whether from defections from its ranks or indifference, the elder club (Williamstown) has not shown the spirit .. that characterised its doings when the Junior Challenge Cup was carried off in 1876.'. The match was lost one goal to NIL. A new entity from North Melbourne arrived on the scene in 1869 to replace Royal Park, along with Albion (from the South Melbourne district), Carlton United, East Brunswick, Northcote and Surrey (from the Richmond area). People who participate in a great football club, form deep and lasting relationships that nurture and shape who they become as human beings. Williamstown Football Club home of the Seagulls since 1864. In 1865, the Athletics Sports Committee began a competition for football clubs that was known as the Challenge Cup, with the principal competitors being Melbourne, Carlton, Geelong, Royal Park, South Yarra and University, but games were often played against 'junior' clubs such as Williamstown, which were allowed 23 or 25 players against the senior club's 20 players. Leading goalscorer was J. Goble with 5 followed by J. Minto with 3, C. Percy 2 while F. Raymer, Jack Litchfield, H. Cardwell, C. Hernan, T. Wauchope, B. Vaughan and Cooper got one each. The only major success that Williamstown experienced in these formative years was in 1876 when it competed with other 'junior clubs' for the Junior Challenge Cup. A total of 7 goals were kicked by the Villagers and had 16 scored against them. It was also reported in the Williamstown Chronicle of August 12 (refer report below) 'the match, which lasted about two hours, was a well-contested one. VFL Premierships 2003, 2015 (2 . Leading goalkicker was again vice-captain, P. Conroy, with 6, with half of these coming in the Heidelberg match, followed by Jack Litchfield with 4, J. Goble 3, and W. Senior, C. Cardwell, A. Fowler, J. Jamieson, E.G. The result is that a boy crossing the paddock on Sunday last got a kick from one of the horses and, is now . in a very precarious state. 1888 VFA season. Apart from these gentleman, Bryant was one of Melbourne's early officials and did a lot of work for the advancement of the game, while Tom Jones became a prolific writer of the game for publications such as The Footballer and The Australasian.