Williamstown Football Club headlined its 150th anniversary celebrations by honouring five former players as ‘legends’ in its inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony last weekend.
Barry Round, one of only two men to win a Brownlow Medal and Liston Trophy; goal kicking goliath Ron Todd; five-time premiership captain Gerry Callahan; five-time premiership player and triple best and fairest winner Ray Smith and Ian ‘Chops’ Rickman, a mercurial goal-kicker and dual premiership player are the inaugural WFC legends (pictured).
As well as honouring those afore mentioned legends, Williamstown inducted 51 players, coaches, officials and volunteers into its inaugural Hall of Fame if front of more than 600 people at Crown Casino.
Williamstown’s proud and successful journey was depicted in film and in interviews with the pivotal people that have made the club what it is today.
Included in the production was the recruiting of Todd from Collingwood, the reasoning behind the late Ron James being selected as a 14-year-old for the 1985 Grand Final as well as documenting the failed forced merger with Werribee in 1995.
Club General Manager Brendan Curry, one of the Hall Of Fame inductees, said the club decided the Hall Of Fame would headline its historic 150 years milestone.
Curry said after countless hours of pain-staking research and discussion it was settled on 51 people as deserved recipients of Hall Of Fame status.
He said to assist in defining the Hall Of Fame they broke the club up into three specific era.
The first era was named the trail blazers, which categories those who were at the club from its formative year of 1864 until 1900.
The second era was termed the Villagers, which takes in the history of the club from 1901 until 1950.
The final era is from 1951 to the current day, the most successful era of the club where it has won 10 premierships and five JJ Liston Trophy’s.
Janet Dooley is the only woman in the Hall Of Fame, a reflection of her continuous volunteer work for the club stretching back more than 60 years.
Dooley still runs the canteen at Point Gellibrand, just as she did back in 1952. She also organised and ran the ladies Committee for 15-years and just three years ago was awarded the League’s Alex Gillon Medal for services to the competition.
Also among the inductees is John James Liston, president of Williamstown for eight years before occupying the same position with the VFA for 28 years. And, of course, JJ Liston’s name is annually perpetuated in the award honouring the competition’s fairest and best player.
18 captains - Martin ‘Tottie’ Fitzpatrick, William ‘Jaspar’ Jones, Walter Warren, Jim Caldwell, Gordon ‘Butch’ Ogden, Ron Todd, Gerry Callahan, Ray Smith, Daryl Ward, John Fanning, Barry Round, Max Papley, Terry Wheeler, Tony Pastore, Saade Ghazi, Troy West, Brad Lloyd and Brett Johnson - were inducted.
And, just seven coaches - Wally Carter, who led the Seagulls to a hat-trick of premierships in the mid-1950s, Caldwell, Ogden, Callahan, Papley, Wheeler and Round - also found themselves in the Hall Of Fame.
Here is a snapshot of those Williamstown Hall Of Fame inductees.
TRAILBLAZERS: 1864 – 1900
4 PLAYERS
Martin Joseph “Tottie” Fitzpatrick - Versatile former Captain 1887; President, Secretary and Delegate
William Fagg “Jasper” Jones - Star player of the 1880’s and 1890’s; Captain 1888 – 1889
William Henry “Barkly Bill” JonesProminent player of the 1880’s and 1890’s
Walter Warren - Captain 1896 – 1899 and 1901
2 OFFICIALS
Alfred Thomas Clark (1845 – 1888) –President WFC 1873 – 1875 and 1882 - 1887; only Williamstown identity to have a statue erected in his memory in Williamstown Botanic Gardens
Duncan McLeod (1856 – 1908) –Credited with saving WFC in 1876; Dominant force against amalgamation; Vice President 1879, Secretary / Treasurer throughout 1870’s and 1880’s
VILLAGERS 1901 – 1950
9 PLAYERS
Jim Caldwell – played 70 games, Captain / Coach 1921-22; Premiership Player 1907-21; Selected on the Wing in Williamstown Team of the Century; Premiership Coach 1921
Arthur Cutting - Played 159 games / no goals; best and Fairest 1938-39; Won 1930 Recorder Cup (Liston Medal); Premiership Player 1939-45
Reg Harley - Played 117 games / kicked 19 goals; Best and Fairest 1946-47; Premiership Player 1945-54; Selected on Interchange in Williamstown Team of the Century
Gordon “Butch” Ogden - Played 56 games / kicked 1 goal; Captain / Coach 1939-41; Non playing Coach 1948 – 1949; Premiership Coach 1939-49
Arthur “Porky” Sykes - Played from 1926 – 1939 (125 games); Best and Fairest 1930-31-32;
Ron Todd - Played 141 games / kicked 672 goals; Captain 1948 and 1949; Leading goalkicker @ WFC 1945-46-47-49; Premiership Player 1945-49; Leading competition goalkicker 1945-46; Kicked 188 goals in 1945; Selected at Centre Half Forward in Williamstown Team of the Century
Harry “Soapy” Vallence -Played 61 games / kicked 337 goals; Premiership Player 1939; Leading goalkicker @ WFC 1939-40 -41; Kicked 133 goals in 1939; Kicked 111 goals in 1940
Johnny Walker - Played 127 games / kicked 444 goals; Premiership player 1949; Leading goalkicker @ WFC 1950-51-52-53; Leading competition goalkicker 1950-52-53; Kicked 103 goals in 1952
Colin Wilcox - Played 173 games / kicked 1 goal; Premiership player 1939-45-49; Best & Fairest 1948; Selected on Half Back Flank in Williamstown Team of the Century
3 OFFICIALS
John James Liston - President Williamstown FC 1923 – 1930; President of the VFA for 28 years; Legendary Administrator at Club and Competition level; VFL Competition Best and Fairest named in his honour
William “Bill” Dooley -President 1945 and 1946; Influential powerbroker and played a key role in recruiting; Generous benefactor to Williamstown Football Club
Larry Floyd - Secretary 1935 – 1939, 1945 – 1946 and 1948 – 1949; iconic administrator and local politician; WFC Grandstand named in his honour
1951 – CURRENT
26 PLAYERS
Eric Beitzel - Played 113 games / no goals; Premiership player 1955-56-58-59; Selected in Back Pocket in Williamstown Team of the Century
Gerry Callahan - played 171 games / kicked 75 goals; Premiership player and Captain 1954-55- 56-58-59; Premiership Coach 1958-59; Captain 1954-59; Coach 1958-67; Best and Fairest 1951,’57; Selected at Centre Half Back and named Captain in Williamstown Team of the Century
Alby Linton -Played 87 games / kicked 226 goals; Best and Fairest 1955; Premiership Player 1954-55-56; Leading goalkicker @ WFC 1954-55-56; Leading competition goalkicker 1955; Selected as Rover in Williamstown Team of the Century
John Martin - Played 133 games / kicked 15 goals; Best and Fairest 1956 and 1958; Liston Medalist 1956; Premiership Player 1954-55-56-58; selected on Wing in Williamstown Team of the Century
Max Munday - Played 120 games / kicked 6 goals; Premiership player 1954-55-56; Selected at Fullback in Williamstown Team of the Century
John Ramsay - Played 125 games / kicked 6 goals; Premiership player 1954-55-56-58-59; Selected in Back Pocket in Williamstown Team of the Century
Ray Smith - Played 205 games / kicked 161 goals; Premiership Player 1954-55-56-58-59; Best & fairest 1959-60-61; Captain 1960-61; Selected on Half Forward Flank in Williamstown Team of the Century
Harry Simpson - Played 75 games / kicked 82 goals; Premiership player 1954-55; Best and Fairest 1954; Selected in Forward Pocket in Williamstown Team of the Century
Bob Jones -Played 130 games / kicked 24 goals; Premiership player 1955-56-58-59; Selected on interchange in Williamstown Team of the Century
Sid Wookey - Played 136 games / kicked 24 goals; Premiership Player 1954-55-56; President 1978 – 1980 and played a key role in stabilising the club
Max Papley - Played 54 games / kicked 108 goals; Captain-Coach 1968–72; Premiership Player / Coach 1969; Selected in the Centre in Williamstown Team of the Century
Tom Russell - Played 200 games; Premiership player 1969; Best and Fairest 1965; Selected on Interchange in Williamstown Team of the Century
Robert Percy - Played 135 games / kicked 67 goals; Premiership Player 1969-76; Best and Fairest 1976
Daryl Ward - Played 188 games / kicked 157 goals; Premiership Player 1959; Captain 1962 – 1966
John Fanning - Played 132 games / kicked 94 goals; Premiership Player 1976; Captain – Coach 1978; Best and Fairest 1974
Kim Kershaw - Played 81 games / kicked 10 goals; Best and Fairest 1983-84-85-86;Premiership Player 1986; Selected on Interchange of Williamstown Team of the Century
Ian Rickman - Played 146 games / kicked 516 goals; Premiership player 1986-90; Leading goalkicker @ WFC 1988-89-90-92; Leading competition goalkicker 1989-92; Kicked 125 goals in 1989; Selected on Half Forward Flank in Williamstown Team of the Century
Barry Round - Played 110 games / kicked 103 goals; Premiership Player 1986-90; Best & Fairest 1987-88-89; Liston Medalist 1987; Norm Goss Medalist 1990; Coach 1989 –1993; Captain 1989 –1991; Selected as 1st Ruck in Williamstown Team of the Century
Mark Fotheringham - Played 101 games / kicked 571 goals; Premiership player 1986; Best and Fairest 1982; Leading goal kicker at WFC 1982-83-84-85-86-87; Leading competition goalkicker 1983-84; Kicked century of goals 1983-84-85’Selected at Full Forward in Williamstown Team of the Century
Tony Pastore - Played 189 games / kicked 150 goals; Premiership player 1986-90; Norm Goss Medalist 1986; Captain 1994-97; Selected on Interchange in Williamstown Team of the Century
Terry Wheeler - Played 94 games / kicked 7 goals; Captain Coach 1984-88; Premiership Captain –Coach 1986
Saade Ghazi - Played 204 games / kicked 291 goals; Best and Fairest 1997; Liston Medalist 1989; Captain 1998 –1999; Leading goalkicker @ WFC 1991 and 1993; Selected in Forward Pocket in Williamstown Team of the Century
Troy West - Played 208 games (club record)/ kicked 9 goals; Captain 2000-04; Premiership Player and Co-Captain 2003;
Brad Lloyd - Played 167 games / kicked 129 goals; Premiership Co-Captain and Player 2003; Captain 2003-06; State Captain 2004; Best & Fairest 2000-01-04
Brett Johnson - Played 124 games / 77 goals; Captain 2007-11; Best & Fairest 2008-10; Runner up of the Liston Trophy 2006 and 2008; State Captain 2008-10
7 OFFICIALS / VOLUNTEERS
Wally Carter - Coach 1954-57; Premiership Coach 1954-55-56; 91 games – 76 wins, 15 losses, winning rate 83.5%; Selected as Coach of Williamstown Team of the Century
Janet Dooley -Begun volunteer work in the canteen in 1953 and has continued service to present day; managed the canteen for many decades; raised hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout this period; Ladies Secretary 1973 – 1988; Recipient of AFL Victoria Alec Gillon Award 2011
Tony Hannebery - Played 43 games / kicked 8 goals; President for 1983-92; Dynamic leader who was instrumental in the clubs successful era of mid 1980’s to early 1990’s; Returned as Board Member 1995 to 1999 after stint as VFA President
Trevor Monti -Longest serving President – 1999 to current ; Played a key role in the $ 9.1 million redevelopment at Burbank Oval; key leader and influential voice representing WFC at both league level and within key governing bodies; influential in ensuring WFC has prospered on and off the field during his Presidency
Brendan Curry -Longest serving General Manager / CEO - 1996 to current; Played a key role in reversing the financial position of WFC and improving it’s on field performances; Instrumental in huge improvement to facilities at Point Gellibrand Oval; Overseen the growth of WFC and the strategic planning / goals over 19 years; Managed WFC through AFL alignments and decision to revert to a stand alone entity
Kelly Brent - Legendary trainer who began his association with the Club in 1959; Head trainer for over 35 years and a much loved and respected figure; Developed tremendous bond with many generations of players, coaches and staff
Bob Major- Begun involvement with WFC as St Johns Ambulance volunteer and graduated to Head Trainer; Highly respected and much loved figure at both Williamstown Football and Cricket Clubs; long time Treasurer and Committee person.
Last Modified on 03/06/2014 13:47