Bill Windley

William Dean Windley (28 August 1868 – 30 August 1953)[2] was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Bill Windley
Windley in 1899
Personal information
Full name William Dean Windley
Date of birth 28 August 1868
Place of birth South Melbourne, Victoria
Date of death 30 August 1953(1953-08-30) (aged 85)
Place of death Windsor, Victoria[1]
Original team(s) South Melbourne (VFA)
Position(s) Centreman/Rover
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1886, 1888–1896 South Melbourne (VFA) 139 (30)
1897–1905 South Melbourne 129 (36)
Total 268 (66)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1905.
Career highlights
  • VFA premiership player 1888–1890
  • South Melbourne captain 1900, 1902
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Windley was one of South Melbourne's veteran players when they started out in the VFL, having played in the VFA since 1886. He had been a member of their 1888, 1889 and 1890 premiership sides, and their 1896 team that was beaten in the premiership play-off match.

An elusive player, he was a centreman in the VFA, but was often used as a rover later on in his career and also spent some time up forward. In the VFL, he captained South Melbourne in 1900 and 1902, and also played in their losing 1899 Grand Final team.

Off the field, he worked for The Argus newspaper for 55 years from 1881 to his retirement in 1936.

He retired one week after his 37th birthday, and was later a trainer and equipment manager at South Melbourne. His total of 268 career games was a record for the club until it was broken by Michael O'Loughlin in Round 22, 2007, 102 years after Windley's last match, 54 years after his death and 26 years after the Swans had moved to Sydney.[3]

References
  1. "Family Notices". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 31 August 1953. p. 7.
  2. "Bill Windley dies". The Argus. Melbourne. 1 September 1953. p. 14.
  3. For many years, Windley's career games total was believed to be 238 due to incomplete records, and this total was passed by John Rantall in Round 22 of 1978; Rantall was taken to be the record holder until Round 15 of 2007 on that basis.
  • Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.


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