One of the new 'junior' clubs that emerged was Cecil, which would soon become South Melbourne and would go on to win five VFA premierships, an effort only surpassed by Geelong during the pre-VFL era. Williamstown's ground was shared with another club called Battery United, which was formed in 1877 and became the second strong team in the Williamstown area and similarly found games difficult to organise in its early seasons. At the completion of the season, the Cup was awarded to Williamstown, which won 10 of its 12 games with one draw to beat a team called South Park by just one point, 21 to 20, followed by South Melbourne (15 points) and Fawkner Park (13 points). Bob Waycott was captain and P. Conroy vice-captain. Another grandson, Reg (pictured here being held by his grandmother, Bridget), was emergency in 'Town's 1939 premiership team in his only season with the Club. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; www.williamstown.com.au/premiership-photos, VFLW & VFLW Practice Match Squads Announced. 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'. He was the lead engineer on the project. These were four of the 9 games played during the season, of which only 2 were won, 5 lost and 2 drawn. 03-03-23. To view premiership teams click www.williamstown.com.au/premiership-photos. Represented VFA against South Australia in 1911. Click to see who will be lining up this weekend for Williamstown, Ben Andrews will be at DSV Stadium in 2023, Click here to find out who has came back to the nest, Powered by ChronoForms - ChronoEngine.com, Admin Office Address: Seagulls Nest, Level 1, 1 Mason Street, Newport 3015, Ground Address:Williamstown Football Ground, Morris Street, Williamstown 3016. A total of 16 goals were kicked by the Villagers against 1 kicked by the opposition. Appointed coach for the 1913 season and remained as captain in 1914. VFL Premierships 2003, 2015 (2 . addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 = addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au'; A solid defender who joined the club from Collingwood. The only other recorded game in 1866 was on June 9 when Williamstown played H. M. Customs, or the Melbourne Customs Club, at Market Reserve and the match was a nil-all draw 'after two hours hard work and many severe spills on either side', as reported by The Argus on June 11. He returned to Williamstown in 1882 after the amalgamation with Battery United and became captain in 1883. The Williamstown Chronicle reported on April 21, 1870, that so few members attended the annual meeting in respect of the 1869 season, that a club could not be formed. The 'J. A 'Third Twenty' was also formed in this season and took to the field for the first time against Battery United at Market Reserve on July 8, winning 4 goals to 2. The heaters will also be cranks in the clubrooms & the bar. The following 51 players, officials and volunteers were announced as the inaugural inductees tthe Williamstown Football Club Hall of Fame. 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. The first secretary-treasurer was John Christison, the first captain J. Doull and D. Dorgan vice-president. 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. Wills was captain of Melbourne in 1858-1859, Richmond in 1860 and Geelong in 1867-1868 and 1872-1873. document.getElementById('cloakbb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9').innerHTML = ''; He was also the tide officer at Customs and lived and worked in Williamstown in 1853. However, secretaries of football clubs often had to rely on information that was not always accurate. The team finished second on the ladder of 'other juniors'. A listing of players to have played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League . St Kilda amalgamated with University in late June of 1875 when it became unable to field a team. 03-03-23. The first page of the 1859 rules, showing the names of the Melbourne FC committee,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. 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. Its home ground was where the current Williamstown High School now is. Clubs also began to appear in regional areas, with Sandhurst forming in 1861 (captained by James Thompson, who was one of the MCC committee who drew up the 1859 Melbourne rules) and a Ballarat side in 1862, together with Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough. linktr.ee/Williamstownfc. Mix w/players & coaches from VFLW & VFL. Another issue was the fact that players were not bound to any one club so having the same group of players each week could not be relied upon. They kicked a total of 13 goals, with F. Raymer leading the way with 3 majors and J. Rees 2. The Williamstown Football Club sends its deepest condolences to the Round . The same scoreline was registered in a game against Hawthorn, also at the. The Challenge Cup and the Junior Challenge Cup were discontinued with the formation of the first controlling body, the VFA. 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. His son was one of the early players. Captained the Club in 1911 and 1915 also. ETU Stadium, 541 Williamstown Road, Port . The next attempt to reform the football club appears to have been in 1864, although there are no records in existence or newspaper articles to testify to that fact, although Pennings wrote in his book that 'Williamstown reappeared after an absence of some years (in 1865)'. Bryant was licensee of the Parade Hotel on Wellington Parade where the original Melbourne Rules were drawn up in May 1859. After the game we were followed to the station by a motley crew who hooted their indignation at us for having beaten the Williamstown. Williamstown Football Club (WFC) has a history dating back to 1864 and is one of the oldest Australian Rules Clubs. 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 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 . He was also elected to the committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club in 1871 and was vice-president from 1892 until his death in 1929 at the age of 92. Footscray Bulldogs, Williamstown 38 minutes ago #157 You can't blow the whistle and then call advantage when everyone stops. J.K. Ogilvie Smith and R. Murray both kicked 3 goals. Military Wiki. Since 1886 our Club has enjoyed senior success winning 15 premierships. History [ edit] The Williamstown Football Club was formed in 1864, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Australia. The Official Facebook page of the Williamstown Football Club. It is more than likely that the Club would have played a few unrecorded matches during the period 1867-69 around the district against other local teams that were not worthy of reporting because it was often difficult to organise matches in the metropolitan competitions, due to the distance and the poor condition of Market Reserve. 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. T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, sweat pants, hats, mugs and more. Former player of the 1980's, Glen Holder's depiction of the great Ned Kelly during the 1873 season. The return match against South Melbourne on August 23 was lost 3 goals to nil. The identities of the two players is unknown but it is the oldest photo in the Club's collection. 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. Both played in 1876 when 'Town won the Junior Challenge Cup, the Club's first piece of silverware. Pennings wrote that 'representatives from Melbourne, St. Kilda, South Yarra, Richmond, Scotch College, University, Williamstown, Collingwood and Booroondara were in attendance'. 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. On a more positive note, it was reported that 'the number of members obtained during the season reached the large number of 109, which is the largest number yet obtained since the formation of the club'. 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. Also, in the Williamstown Advertiser of May 2, 1925, an article by 'Old Timer' states that the Club's original colours were 'blue jersey, knickers and hose, and a blue cap with a white band running from front to back.' #ProudlyWilliamstown. var addy_text411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloak411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef').innerHTML += ''+addy_text411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef+'<\/a>'; 2015 Williamstown Footbal Club - Site design by AdTorque Edge. 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. 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 'twoWilliamstownfootballers, whole-length, almost full face, man on right chin curtain beard and moustache, both in blue and white uniforms of long sleeved pullovers, pants with striped socks and caps, both standing, man on right with hands on hips, image dated 1879'. We are also a proud member of Football . Second Twenty also did well in this season with 5 wins and 2 draws from its 10 matches. 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.' Again no goals were scored and the match was declared a draw. 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. 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. 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. Williamstown has proved a great training ground for coaches as well. North Melbourne Kangaroos Past Players Lidge's Lounge. It will the club's men's team's 127th season as a member of the Australian Football League, and the second under senior coach Michael Voss; and it will be the club's women's team's eighth season contesting the AFL Women's.The club will also field its men's reserves team in the Victorian . 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. He did not appear to have played any part in the formation of the VFA and nor was he ever a secretary or delegate of any club. The 'Rules of Football' as drawn up at the meeting at the Argus Hotel on May 28, 1860, where a Williamstown delegate was present. 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. Leo Maloney: Played 107 games and kicked 115 goals between 1959 and 1964. A total of 17 goals were scored by the Seconds with only 9 kicked against them. 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 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. 1970s 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 Aussie Rules. The 1886 Victorian Football Association season was the 10th season of the Australian rules football competition. Stats Updated. A listing of players to have played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League, previously known as the VFA. Jack Litchfield then became secretary in 1874 and 1875. 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. The return match against Wesley College was at Fawkner Park on August 26 with Wesley winning one goal to none (refer report below). Neither Hawthorn or St Kilda were connected to the current AFL clubs. 'Town finished 7th out of a competition of 15 teams. William Riggall, pictured here in the Melbourne Leader of August 15 1908, played for 'Town in a game at Williamstown on July 2 1866 against Carlton when he was actually a Blues player. He played until 1878 and then crossed to fellow local club, Battery United, in 1879 where he became captain during the year and led the team again in 1880. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. He came ashore each day to work on construction of the sea walls and later on the artillery bunkers adjacent to the cricket ground. Games were played against senior teams South Melbourne at Albert Park on May 3, losing 2.24 to 0.1, at St Kilda on June 7, losing 3 goals to nil, and at the MCG on July 26, losing to Melbourne, 4.32 to 0.2. We think Waycott, the Williamstown captain, should have stopped the match at a very early stage.' J. var addy_text98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloak98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc').innerHTML += ''+addy_text98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc+'<\/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. The Second Twenty had a more successful season, playing 9 matches of which five were won, two lost with two draws. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3ZLxQ_ObA&feature=related. They provide training for girls, and there are various three-day football camps throughout the year. 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. This statue has been located in the Gardens since 1891, following Clark's death at sea in 1888. 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 won a premiership in each decade of the 1900's except the second 1907, 1921, 1939, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1969 (Second Division), 1976 (Second Division), 1986 and 1990, followed by two more in 2003 and 2015. An extract from page 56 of the book entitled 'Australia's Game, The History of Australian Football' by Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, Greg de Moore and Rob Hess. 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.