There was also a 1 goal (kicked by Will Outen) to NIL victory over senior team, Richmond, at Royal Park on September 4. Its home ground was where the current Williamstown High School now is. There was allegedly another game between Melbourne Grammar and a St Kilda team at St Kilda on July 31 that was abandoned due to a dispute over the rules. Geelong was not present as it went into recess shortly after its inception, until being revived in a gathering at the British Hotel in Corio Street, Geelong, on May 21, 1860, and played its first senior match against Melbourne at Argyle Paddock in Geelong on September 1. Mark Pennings in his book, 'Origins of Australian Football: Victoria's Early History' writes that 'Booroondara, Collingwood, Williamstown and University were other clubs that emerged' (in 1860). Williamstown Chronicle, September 2, 1871. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. They were also given the power to stop play and throw the ball in the air to clear a scrimmage and to start the second half. Harrison acted as codifier of a final list of thirteen rules, which were signed off by the representatives of Melbourne (Harrison and R.W. Williamstown High School Superior Cotton Twill Low Profile Style Caps clothing and apparel! He was also the tide officer at Customs and lived and worked in Williamstown in 1853. Essendon, Hawthorn and St Kilda (in its second reincarnation) emerged as junior clubs in 1873, but it was only the 'Dons that would go on to become on of the great clubs in football. 3,008 were here. 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. Stats Updated. This email address is being protected from spambots. Essendon and West Melbourne were new senior clubs in the VFA in 1878, while the organisation of fixtures continued to be a problem and only nine games of the 16 proposed by Williamstown in 1878 were played. In the game against a St Kilda Second Twenty at the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on May 30, 'Town were victorious 7 goals to NIL, a huge margin at the time. Charlie passed away on November 20, 1929, aged 73. He coached 'Town in 1994. For some unknown reason, the Club did not appear to continue with the 'Third Twenty' in 1877. Two other sons, Jack and Percy, also played for 'Town, in 1909 and 1928, respectively. 1970's Mal Allen (Coach 1976-77)Great football clubs are more than successful on and off the field; they are more than a place to play and enjoy the game of . QUICK CONTACT INFO. 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.'. We have a strengthening relationship with the Williamstown Junior Football Club with our junior teams providing a stepping stone for Williamstown's footballers to continue playing in the gold and blue colours of Williamstown. B&F winner 1963, Member of the Seagulls' 1960's Team of the Decade. Captain of the past three seasons, Bob Waycott, departed for Sydney at the end of the year and was replaced by D. Burke with P. Conroy vice-captain. *The award was then known as The Recorder Cup. Monday-Friday: 9am to 5pm; Satuday: 10am to 2pm. His son was one of the early players. Affiliation (Current) Victorian Football League (VFL) 1996-2023. 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. VFLW & VFLW Practice Match Squads Announced. The identities of the two players is unknown but it is the oldest photo in the Club's collection. The team finished second on the ladder of 'other juniors'. ETU Stadium, 541 Williamstown Road, Port . 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'. Shortty: My first memories of engagement with the Williamstown Football Club go back to the latter years of the Second World War, which would have been around 1945/46 when the VFA resumed after the recess for the war. Williamstown Chronicle, September 2, 1876. This is generally thought to be the game's first serious injury, and he was attended to by Dr. Edward Figg of Williamstown, who was a vice-president of the Club in 1886. The Leader of July 22 reported that 'Melbourne had a stroll in the park against juniors Williamstown on the Melbourne Ground (not the MCG). Also, 1870 was the first year that the Club had a recorded president in Alfred Thomas Clark, local MLA for 17 years and founder of the Williamstown Advertiser, and local printer, Duncan McLeod, was the first recorded secretary since Hugh Ronald Reid in 1860. 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. The leading goalkicker was Johnny Rees with three, while J. Monteith kicked two and D. Burke and John Charles Frederick Ulbrick one each. Membership totalled 64 in this season. 1864 (merged with South Williamstown 1888) Colours Royal blue and yellow. The Club was formed in 1864 and has won 15 Premierships in the history of the VFA/VFL competition, including 13 in Division 1, and 2 in . The first inter-colonial matches between Victoria and South Australia took place on July 1 and 5, both won easily by the Vics, and the first games were played under electric lights in this season in June and August. The 2023 Carlton Football Club season will be the Carlton Football Club's 160th season of competition.. 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. The defeats were at the hands of North Melbourne (twice), Studley Park and Hawthorn. Dec 19, 2022. 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. He returned to Williamstown in 1882 after the amalgamation with Battery United and became captain in 1883. 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. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Minnesota school moves into first place past Hinsdale Central (Ill.), Jesuit (Ore.). This club is a great organisation like many football clubs it has a great reservoir of committed people who are here only to see the club succeed. 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'. Bob Waycott was captain and P. Conroy vice-captain. 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. However, the Chronicle reported on May 7, 1870, that 'steps are being taken to reorganise the Williamstown Football Club.' Mr W.J. The Age reported on Tuesday, 29 May, 1860, (see below) that the Williamstown Football Club was formed on 18 May, 1860, at the first annual general meeting of the Williamstown Alliance Cricket Club, held at the Mechanics Institute in Electra Street. Charles George 'Charlie' Outen, pictured here in 1914 aged in his 50's, played for Williamstown from 1874 until 1877 and played all those years with his brother, Will. The only other win for the season was over Hotham United. var addy98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc = 'admin' + '@'; 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. Reid was a founding player and also first secretary of the Alliance Cricket Club. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. 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 loss against South Melbourne on the Gardens Reserve was the first ever sustained there by the Club. 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. Represented VFA against South Australia in 1911. The Official Facebook page of the Williamstown Football Club. The Williamstown Chronicle also reported on 30 June, 1860, (see below) that the football club was to play a 'friendly' scratch match on Market Reserve that day at 10.30 am. We are reaching out to the families or next of kin to contact the club as soon as possible. Stanbridge also won the VFA Medal the same year, as did Neville Huggins in 1937, Arthur Cutting in 1938 and Des Fothergill in 1941. 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. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. A total of 7 goals were kicked for the year, of which P. Conroy scored 5 and R. Dalton jnr and J. Rees kicked one each, while 15 goals were scored by opponents. Williamstown's comparative slow advancement in the football world was not in keeping with its importance to Melbourne as a port, but communication and transport were difficult and militated against regular visits by the clubs of the inner suburbs. 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. 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. In 1886, players wishing to play on the cricket ground ultimately established a rival senior club, the South Williamstown Football Club, which also contested the VFA for two seasons. Best players for the Villagers were John Buchanan, John Alexander Springhall jnr, W. Tickell, C. Payne and Horace Norman. Since 1886 our Club has enjoyed senior success winning 15 premierships. 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. The same scoreline was registered in a game against Hawthorn, also at the. The first ground used by Williamstown was the Market Reserve, opposite St Mary's Catholic Church, and bounded by Cecil, Cole and Hanmer Streets. Six care groups have been formed that consist of . They provide training for girls, and there are various three-day football camps throughout the year. We are reaching out to the families or next of kin to contact the club as soon as possible. 300 copies of the Victorian Rules were printed and distributed amongst the various clubs. var addy_textbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloakbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9').innerHTML += ''+addy_textbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9+'<\/a>'; 2015 Williamstown Footbal Club - Site design by AdTorque Edge. #ProudlyWilliamstown. Home Ground Williamstown Cricket Ground. The Second Twenty had a more successful season, playing 9 matches of which five were won, two lost with two draws. 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'. This attempt by a University professor to stage an intercolonial match between Victoria and South Australia at the MCG under lights were attended by large crowds but were deemed a fiasco due to the poor quality of the lights, which were described in the Williamstown Chronicle of August 16 as being 'fitful and irregular. Back pocket player in the 1907 premiership. Power was also the editor of The Footballer publication during its short life from 1875-82. 'Town kicked 4 goals and had 9 goals scored against them. The following 51 players, officials and volunteers were announced as the inaugural inductees tthe Williamstown Football Club Hall of Fame. One solution was the establishment of a Junior Challenge Cup in 1872 by the Athletic Sports Committee to cater for the second tier clubs such as Williamstown, East Melbourne, Richmond, South Melbourne, West Melbourne and Brunswick, as by 1875 clubs had been divided into three categories - senior, junior and minor. Bryant also provided the ball that was used in the early games of football that were played on the Richmond Paddock from 1858 onwards. The Williamstown Football Club sends its deepest condolences to the Round . Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. There are also references to the fact that Williamstown Football Club was formed in 1870, which is known to be incorrect as the club was reorganised for a second time in that year. After the game we were followed to the station by a motley crew who hooted their indignation at us for having beaten the Williamstown. Club Captain in 1903 and 1904 was lured to Footscray and led that club to the 1908 premiership. He played one further season in 1884 when Williamstown obtained senior status. Richmond disappeared in 1862 while St Kilda disbanded in 1863 due to insufficient numbers to field a side but re-emerged in 1873. Posts. This state of affairs were not uncommon around the 1870's and, even if Williamstown played only one or two scratch matches, or none at all, it is entitled to claim a continuity of existence from a much earlier point as there were no other clubs playing in Williamstown at that time. James Mark 'Jerry' Bryant (left) and Tom Wills in 1859 when teammates in the Victorian cricket team. D. Rogers was leading goalscorer for the Seconds with 6, while Bobby Weatherhead, A. Murray, Wilson, Singleton and J. Davidson each kicked one. 1867 saw a proliferation of new clubs emerging, including a second Fitzroy team, East Melbourne, Rysleigh (from the South Melbourne district) and Pentridge. Captain and back pocket player in the 1907 premiership win over West Melbourne. Players Profile VFL. The same scoreline was registered in a game against Hawthorn, also at theGardens (Fearon) Reserve onJune 19, with Trott the only multiple goalkicker. The captain of the Second Twenty for 1880 was C. Hernan with C. Percy vice-captain. A listing of players to have played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League, previously known as the VFA. The purpose of the meeting was to reconsider the 'Melbourne' rules, formalise them and to reach an agreement on them. This statue has been located in the Gardens since 1891, following Clark's death at sea in 1888. SJ Fowler was one of the early secretaries and one of their first captains was Johnny Rees, a former Williamstown player. 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. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. 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. Williamstown Football Club | 1 034 fljare p LinkedIn. Official Instagram page of the Williamstown Football Club. Associated clubs Williamstown Reserves; Williamstown WFC. Williamstown ventured to Geelong for the first time in 1878 and lost six goals to nil on the Argyle Paddock on July 6, but fielded a weakened side due to several of the best players, including John Kilgour, future captains D. Burke and J. Monteith, and J. Davidson, 'being unable to get away from business, and their places had to be filled by Second Twenty men.' It was also reported that, at the annual meeting for the 1872 season, held at the Mechanics Institute on April 1 1873, that 'the committee hopes to be able to start a second twenty, owing to the great increase of members'. The 'J. 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. Captain and back pocket player in the 1907 premiership win over West Melbourne. Weatherall.' . Height: 191cm Weight: 90kg DOB: 06/04/2002 VFL Debut: 2022 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. In total, 5 games were played in the 1871 season, 2 of which were won and 3 lost. The Collingwood team was not connected to the current AFL team. Furthermore, the publication entitled 'The Footballer' of 1875 noted that 'at the beginning of 1864, football, which had been growing in favour, received additional impetus from the advent of Emerald Hill, Royal Park and Carlton. Documented evidence from the Melbourne and Williamstown press of the day suggest that the football club was formed by members of the Williamstown Alliance Cricket Club in order to keep fit during the off-season. Clarke was the first president, with Henry Harrison (Melbourne) and R. Robertson (Carlton) the vice-presidents and Harry Hale Budd (Melbourne) the first secretary and Thomas P. Power (Carlton) the first treasurer. Footscray Bulldogs, Williamstown 38 minutes ago #157 You can't blow the whistle and then call advantage when everyone stops. T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, sweat pants, hats, mugs and more. Wills was the first captain of Melbourne in 1859 and Harrison was a teammate. The Williamstown Independent newspaper reported on 2 June 1860 (see below) that 'the members of this newly-formed Club enjoyed their first game on Saturday last.' 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. It was a tribute to Harrison that once again his rules were adopted unanimously and clubs were springing up all over Victoria. One of these matches was on August 1 where it was reported in The Argus two days later that the 'Williamstown Club sent a team to Hawthorn to play the local club, but the game was brought to an abrupt conclusion in consequence of the Williamstown men declining to play any longer with the umpire, who they considered was not impartial.' var addy_text98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloak98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc').innerHTML += ''+addy_text98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc+'<\/a>'; 2015 Williamstown Footbal Club - Site design by AdTorque Edge. Ajax is the Netherlands' most successful club and is best known for producing a series of entertaining attacking teams. History [ edit] The Williamstown Football Club was formed in 1864, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Australia. Played as a follower for Williamstown and represented the VFA against the VFL at the MCG in 1931. Main Page . 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. It was the third premiership in the club's history, and the first out of a sequence of three consecutive premierships won from 1888 to 1890. Ted Alley: Played 160 games and kicked 20 goals between 1905 and 1915. There was also a 1 goal (kicked by Will Outen) to NIL victory over senior team, Richmond, at Royal Park on September 4. 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. Williamstown's longest-serving president, Trevor Monti, has a keen interest in the famous Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly, and was adamant that Kelly played 11 games with the Seagulls in 1873 as a 'tough centre half-back with unconventional tactics'. This was before the girls school was built alongside South Williamstown State School. This video is the recollections and thoughts of the players who have formed and been moulded by the Williamstown Football Club.Williamstown Football Club celebrates and honours the teams and players of the 1970s. The playing on both sides was very spirited, and, even though the Williamstonians exerted themselves most manfully, they were unable to get a goal, the superior playing of the East Melbourne team getting them two goals'. 'The Footballer' publication of 1879 stated that the 'Fishing Village is strong in football, and musters three clubs, Williamstown, North Williamstown and Battery United .. although there is not much to choose between the last two.