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Williamstown's Team Of The Century
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Williamstown's Team of the 20th Century: BACK POCKET [b]Eric Beitzel[/b] 113 games, 0 goals Premierships – 4 (1955, 56, 58, 59) Minded the resting rovers in the back pocket during Williamstown's halycon days in the 1950s. Member of the 1955-56-58-59 premiership teams. FULLBACK [b]Max Munday[/b] 120 Games, 6 goals. Premierships – 3 (1954, 55 & 56). Spent seven seasons at Williamstown during the Club's greatest period. Held down the full-back position in three premiership teams. BACK POCKET [b]John Ramsay[/b] 125 Games, 6 goals. Premierships – 5 (1954, 55, 56, 58 & 59). Another who played at Williamstown when they ruled the competition like no other team. Usually took care of the resting ruckman. HALF BACK FLANK [b]Brett McTaggart[/b] 184 Games, 66 goals. Premierships – 2 (1986 & 90). Liston Trophy 1988. Played on a wing but made a name as a half-back flanker. Tied for first in the 1988 Liston Medal with Coburg's Gary Sheldon, but did not win the Club's Best and Fairest. Captained the Club in its losing 1992 Grand Final. CENTRE HALF BACK [b]Gerry Callahan (Captain)[/b] 171 Games, 75 goals. Premierships – 5 (1954, 55, 56, 58 & 59). Best and Fairest 1951 & 1957. Legendary figure at Williamstown. Captain-Coach of the Club during its golden era. Captained the five premierships in the 1950s and coached the Club in 1958 and 1959. Coached the Club a record 202 times. A best and fairest winner in 1951, he played at centre half-back, centre half-forward and in the ruck. HALF BACK FLANK [b]Colin Wilcox[/b] 173 Games, 1 goals. Premierships – 3 (1939, 45 & 49). Best and Fairest 1948 Played nine seasons with Williamstown, interrupted by World War II. Member of the 1939-45-49 premiership teams. Won the best and fairest award in 1948. Played centre half-back or on a half-back flank. Regarded by many at Williamstown as arguably the Seagulls greatest ever player. WING [b]Jim Caldwell[/b] 70 Games. Premierships – 2 (1907 & 1921). Played with Williamstown in three bursts - 1904, 1907-08 and 1921-22. In between he played with South Melbourne where he won a reputation as one of the game's greatest wingman, captaining the Swans to the 1918 flag. Played in premierships with Williamstown in 1907 and 1921. CENTRE [b]Max Papley[/b] 54 Games, 108 goals. Premierships – 1 (1969). Began his career with Moorabbin, where he captained the Club's 1963 premiership team before moving to South Melbourne. Played 69 games and won the best and fairest with the Swans before joining Williamstown as playing coach. A member of the Seagulls 1969 premiership team, he played 54 games and kicked 108 goals. WING [b]John Martin[/b] 133 Games, 15 goals. Premierships – 4 (1954, 55, 56 & 58 ). Best and Fairest 1956 & 58. Liston Medal 1956. One of the most decorated playerd in the Seagulls history. Won the best and fairest in two premiership years (1956 & 1958) and played in another two flags in 1954 and 1955. Also won the Liston Trophy in 1956. Played mainly in the centre. HALF FORWARD FLANK [b]Ray Smith[/b] 205 Games, 161 goals. Premierships – 5 (1954, 55, 56, 58 & 59). Best and Fairest 1959, 60 & 61. Club games record holder with 205 between 1951 and 1961. Played in all five premierships in the 1950s, mainly on a half-forward flank with some time in the centre. Won three straight best and fairest awards (1959-61). CENTRE HALF FORWARD [b]Ron Todd[/b] 141 Games, 672 goals. Premierships – 2 (1945 & 49). Champion Collingwood full forward who kicked 327 goals in five seasons, before moving to Williamstown aged 23. Todd was a sensation at Williamstown, kicking 672 goals in 141 games, including 188 in 1945, still a record. HALF FORWARD FLANK [b]Ian Rickman[/b] 146 Games, 516 goals. Premierships – 2 (1986 & 90). One of the more colourful characters to play in modern times, Rickman was a prodigious kick for goal. Was an integral part of the Club's 1986 and 1990 flag teams. Equally effective on a half-forward flank or at full-forward. FORWARD POCKET [b]Harry Simpson[/b] 75 Games, 82 goals. Premierships – 2 (1954 & 55). Best and Fairest 1954. Played four seasons with Williamstown, but in those games he certainly made his presence felt. Played in the 1954 and 1955 premiership teams and won the best and fairest award in 1954. Regarded by some, including Gerry Callahan, as the team's best ruckman of the era. Was also very effective in attack, where he kicked 82 goals. FULL FORWARD [b]Mark Fotheringham[/b] 101 Games, 571 goals. Premierships – 1 (1986). Best and Fairest 1982. One of the outstanding VFL full-forwards, with 928 career goals after starting off at Yarraville. Averaged 5.7 goals in his 101 games for the Seagulls. Kicked a century three times and led the competition goalkicking twice. FORWARD POCKET [b]Saade Ghazi[/b] 204 Games, 291 goals. Best and Fairest 1997. Liston Medal 1989. A Williamstown great who won the Liston Trophy in his debut season. A damaging rover who cut teams apart with his pace. Played at the Club for 9 seasons, with two as captain. Won a best and fairest award. RUCK [b]Barry Round[/b] 110 Games, 103 goals. Premierships – 2 (1986 & 90). Best and Fairest 1987, 88 & 89. Liston Medal 1987. Universally respected champion who was a revelation in the twilight of his career for the Seagulls. Played more than 320 VFL games for Footscray and South Melbourne. One of only two players to win a Brownlow and Liston Trophy. Captain-coach of Williamstown's sensational 1990 premiership team. Won three best and fairest awards before ruling himself ineligible for a fourth. RUCK ROVER [b]Eric Glass[/b] 82 Games, 54 goals. Premierships – 2 (1939 & 45). Carried the moniker 'Tarzan' during his war-interrupted career. A rugged ruck-rover who played in the Seagull's 1939 premiership team, and the 1945 flag side after returning from the war. ROVER [b]Alby Linton[/b] 87 Games, 226 goals. Premierships – 3 (1954, 55 & 56). Best and Fairest 1955 Spent only four seasons at Williamstown, but in that time established himself as the best rover in the competition. Played in a hat-trick of premierships and won the best and fairest award in 1955. Very dangerous around goal. INTERCHANGE [b]Reg Harley[/b] 117 Games, 19 goals. Premierships – 2 (1945 & 54). Best and Fairest 1946 & 47. Defender who played with Williamstown in two bursts, 1945-47 and again in 1952-54. Played in the 1945 and 1954 premiership teams and twice won the best and fairest (1946-47). [b]Bob Jones[/b] 130 Games, 24 goals. Premierships – 4 (1955, 56, 58 & 59). Another ruckman from Williamstown's awesome 1950s teams. Played eight seasons and featured in four premiership teams. [b]Len Kent[/b] 117 Games, 15 goals. Premierships – 4 (1954, 56, 58 & 59). Strong defender who played mainly at centre half-back during his seven seasons at the club. Played in four premierships. [b]Kim Kershaw[/b] 81 Games, 10 goals. Premierships – 1 (1986). Best and Fairest 1983, 84, 85 & 86. A man mountain who holds the club record for most best and fairest awards with four in his first four seasons at the Club. Played in the Club's 1986 premiership team. [b]Tony Pastore[/b] 189 Games, 150 goals. Premierships – 2 (1986 & 90). One of the longest serving players in the Club's history, with 189 games in two stints after spending one season at Richmond. Played full-back in the Club's 1986 premiership team before switching to ruck-rover and helping the team to the 1990 flag. A beautiful kick. [b]Tom Russell[/b] 200 Games, 0 goals. Premierships – 1 (1969). Best and Fairest 1965. One of only three players to play 200 games for the Seagulls. Joined the Club at the end of its glory days in the 1950s, but played long enough to enjoy the 1969 premiership win. Played at full-back and never kicked a goal. Won the best and fairest award in 1965. COACH [b]Wally Carter[/b] 1954-1957 91 games, 76 wins, 15 losses Premiers 1954, 55, 56. Winning rate: 83.5% Legendary coach who netted immediate results when he took over in 1954. Led the Club to three premierships (1954-55-56) and another Grand Final appearance.
Edited by: admin on 28/12/2008 - 02:16