1880s

By 1880, the bigger clubs began to accumulate considerable funds received from paying customers at cricket grounds and the resultant increase in inducements to players, including covering the costs of guernseys and boots, job offers and free housing, inexorably moved the game away from its amateur origins. For the next decade and a half the VFA struggled to find an effective way of resisting this growing trend, and the clash between amateur and professional philosophies was a major factor in the formation of the VFL. Theophilus Smith Marshall, who was Carlton’s delegate at this time, but later became secretary of the VFA for 12 years from 1885, was one who could see the need for drastic administrative and playing reforms. Despite being a native of Scotland, Marshall had grown up with the game and played in that first match on Richmond Paddock and was a close friend of Henry Harrison. He campaigned for such things as paid umpires, points for wins and draws, boundary umpires, an independent tribunal for trying reported players and a properly drawn-up fixture, things that would be postponed for years. One reform that came into effect in 1880 was to limit the movement of players. This restriction applied to any player other than one who had permanently changed address or whose application for transfer had been rejected three times in succession by his club.

One of the co-founders of the game, Tom Wills, committed suicide in early May at his home. He was the physical force behind the early organisation of the game and was also a very good player who had the ‘best player in the colony’ title bestowed on him several times. In other developments, Albert Park and South Melbourne finally amalgamated and retained the Park’s red and white stripes, while East Melbourne returned to senior ranks after three years and St Kilda reformed but dropped back to junior status after just one game and then disbanded again, sending the second incarnation of St Kilda into history. The first inter-colonial games on South Australian soil also occurred in mid-August.

15 matches were played by Williamstown of which five were won, five lost and five drawn. Only 5 goals were scored for the season as against 10 by the opposition. ‘Town only played two matches against senior teams in this season, being Carlton on August 14 (losing 3.27 to 0.3) at Prince’s Oval and Melbourne (lost 4-0). In the Carlton match the two Litchfields, Billy and Jack, former vice-captain, P. Conroy, Bobby Weatherhead, former captain, Bob Waycott, back from Sydney, Fred Kilgour and current vice-captain, J. Monteith, were named as the better players. 

E.G. Moss took over the captaincy in 1880 from D. Burke with J. Monteith vice-captain, but Monteith led the team on several occasions when Moss was unavailable. Charlie Laming made his senior debut in this season against West Melbourne Alberts at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on June 19 and was named in the better players in the Williamstown Chronicle of June 26. Laming came from the North Williamstown Club and would go on to play for the next seven seasons and captain the Club for part of 1884 and all of 1885, the Club’s first two seasons as a senior VFA club. He later moved to Coolgardie in WA in 1896 and captained the local team before moving to Kalgoorlie where he lived until passing away at the Government Hospital following a short illness in January 1924 at the age of 61. 

Following a public challenge issued by Battery United in the Williamstown Chronicle of July 24 (see below), Williamstown met the fellow local club for the first time in this season, at the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on August 7. Battery United were captained by former Williamstown player of 1874-78, Johnny Rees. The game ended in a draw, with Battery United scoring 7 behinds to the more highly-fancied ‘Town’s 5 behinds, but the game had to be stopped for several minutes in the first half when the large, enthusiastic crowd encroached upon the ground. As a result of this, Williamstown then made a similar public challenge in the Williamstown Chronicle of August 14 (see below) to a rematch at Carlton’s Princes Oval for a prize of ‘5 pounds or upwards a-side’ the following Saturday, August 21. Battery United held a special meeting at the Mechanics Institute the same night that the challenge was issued to consider the issue and decined the offer on the grounds that (i) a game against another team had already been arranged for the proposed date; (ii) that a game could be played at some future agreed date; and (iii) the offer of prize money for the game would be declined for the reason that the Club played ‘purely for the honor of the game.’ (See Chronicle article of August 21 below). 

Membership was 64 in this season.

In 1881 ‘Town scored their first victory over a senior club when it downed Hotham (North Melbourne) on June 18 at the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve, 1.4 to 0.0, albeit with the advantage of extra men.

Former captain, E.G. Moss, was best for the Villagers, while Charlie Laming kicked the only goal. Poor weather forced all senior matches to be abandoned on this day, except for the Hotham game.

Hotham had defeated Williamstown 3 goals to nil earlier in the season on May 14 at Royal Park.

Brunswick was defeated twice, on one occasion with a score of 9-0. ‘Town finished the year 13th out of 15 teams on the junior ladder with 7 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses from the 13 games played. The Villagers kicked 25 goals for the season while 14 goals were booted by the opponents, a feat diminished by the absence of senior opposition.

The team journeyed to Colac during the season and defeated the locals 6-3 while Romsey was visited at the end of the year, quite possibly the first end-of-season trip made by the Club

Efforts were made in the pre-season of 1880 for Williamstown and Battery United to amalgamate so that a stronger team could be fielded to make a bid for inclusion in the senior grade, but this proved unsuccessful. A merger between the two clubs did eventually occur under the Williamstown name in April 1882 and led to Alfred Thomas Clark resuming the presidency, replacing Cr John Jobson who had served six years in that role but stood down to make the union possible as Clark had been the incumbent president of Battery United. Jobson continued on as a vice-president during 1882. Duncan McLeod also resumed as secretary/treasurer, taking over from John H. Silke jnr.

An improved performance resulted from the amalgamation, with 11 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats the result of the Club’s 18 matches. One of the defeats was to senior club, Hotham (North Melbourne), at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on September 2, 2.3 to 1.8, although the Villagers were allowed extra men. ‘Town were also scheduled to meet East Melbourne on July 8 but this match was postponed due to rain. Williamstown successfully demanded a change of umpire in a game against South Yarra at half-time, and when no players from East Melbourne turned up on June 8 a game was played against Moonee Ponds which had found itself in the same situation at a nearby ground. This scratch match was later counted as a competition game. East Melbourne disbanded after its sixth consecutive defeat during which it failed to score a single goal and never appeared again. A game was played at Dandenong on the Queen’s Birthday holiday which Williamstown won, 11.27 to NIL, a phenomenal score for the times. 

The team kicked a total of 48 goals for the season with just 13 goals scored against the Villagers, while J. Page became the first Williamstown player to kick 10 goals in a season. The team finished 6th on the ladder of 14 junior clubs. The Second Twenty was not so successful and disbanded after playing 8 games, three of which were won, one drawn and four lost. Membership increased to 136 largely due to secretary/treasurer McLeod canvassing the district extensively, which was more than the minimum of 80 required for VFA senior status, and there was a larger pool of players from which to select a team as a result of the merger. Another issue that Williamstown faced in achieving seniority was the lack of a fence around its ground to enable admission to be charged so, at the end of 1882, the Club borrowed 70 pounds from the Commercial Bank of Australia for this purpose, making ‘Town the only junior club in the colony to have a ‘rink’ . 

An early-season clash occurred between VFA officials and secretaries of the stronger clubs over the issue of the private drawing-up of fixtures before the start of the season. The Association were of the view that this was the right of the controlling body but the main clubs, backed by their cricket club landlords, won the battle and once again it became a ‘club matter’. Unsuccessful attempts were also made to have matches divided up into four quarters of 30 minutes each instead of two halves of one hour apiece. 

At a special meeting held at the Advertiser Exchange on March 5, prior to the commencement of the season, it was resolved that ‘the Club’s uniform be dark blue jersey and blue cap with white stripe down the centre’ with knickerbockers as before. The Club also called for tenders to erect a moveable rink in the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve. At the meeting it was stated that ‘the rink would be of red gum, rectangular in shape, 200 yds by 120 yds in extent. The panels would be nine feet in width, four feet six inches high, with pickets. The Commercial Bank had consented to advance the necessary money’, which amounted to nearly 100 pounds and which was repaid in a year due to admittance fees of sixpence being charged for entry to games against senior clubs such as Melbourne, Essendon and Carlton (refer to advertisement below) and two concerts that were held in September at the Mechanics Institute. Williamstown had the distinction of being the only junior club in the colony to have a ‘rink’, or an enclosed area for playing football. 

John Rees, who played with the Villagers from 1874-78 before crossing to Battery United in 1879 and then returning after the merger with ‘Town in 1882, was elected captain for the season with William Fagg ‘Jasper’ Jones his vice-captain but Jones resigned prior to the game against Footscray at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on June 2 and crossed to Williamstown Juniors. He was replaced by Dick ‘Commotion’ James. New players who would go on to be long-serving representatives of the Club debuted in this season, including Dick James (1883-89, 70-95 games 6 goals), ‘Jasper’ Jones (1883-93, 118-129 games 27 goals, captain 1888/89), James Smith (1883-89, 77-95 games 28 goals), Alf ‘Ginger’ Worroll (1883-90, 100-106 games 14 goals) and Ernie ‘Dick’ Warren (1883-92, 134-149 games 52 goals, captain 1891, leading goalscorer 1884 & 1886). The leading goalkicker of the previous year, J. Page, the first player to kick 10 goals in a season for Williamstown, transferred to Carlton in 1883 while teammate, Billy Litchfield, who had played with ‘Town since 1877, went to Hotham (North Melbourne) but returned in 1884. Charles Alexander joined the Villagers during the season but returned to Essendon for 1884. 

Williamstown’s progress as a junior club reached its peak in 1883 when it played a 1-all draw against Melbourne in its first visit to the Gardens Reserve on August 25 before a crowd of 2,000, defeated Essendon 2.5 to 1.8 on September 1 also at the Gardens Reserve, and then beat Brunswick, 4.7 to 1.2, on September 8 again at Gardens Reserve, in a season that saw 20 matches played for 10 wins, 5 losses and 5 draws. Four of the matches were against ‘senior’ clubs, including the victory over Essendon, but there was also a loss at South Melbourne, 5.7 to 1.6 on May 5, Carlton, 3.5 to 0.7 on May 19, the first visit by a senior club to the Village in many years, and a draw with Hotham, 1.15 to 1.2, on July 28. In respect of the game at the Hotham Recreation Reserve (Arden Street), it was reported in the Williamstown Chronicle of August 4 that ‘this ground, which lies very low, being, in fact, part of the West Melbourne swamp, is at its best a very damp spot, but after a shower of rain it becomes in many places a perfect morass, the efforts of the players to keep their footing being laughable to the onlookers, but the very reverse to themselves; a more unsuitable piece of ground for football purposes could not be found around Melbourne.’ 

There was also a victory over South Yarra, considered to be the leading junior club in the colony, 5.9 to 1.7 at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on June 23, with all of ‘Town’s goals coming in the first half. The following week the Villagers lost to lowly Royal Park 2.4 to 1.20 at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve. It also was reported in the Williamstown Chronicle of June 16 that ‘Town won its first game at Sandridge (Port Melbourne) in seven years in this season, 2 goals to 1, and also won the return encounter at Williamstown, 3.15 to 1.6, in front of a crowd of 3,000. The Club also visited Kyneton on the Queen’s Birthday holiday for the annual country match and downed the locals easily in wet conditions at the racecourse, 6.19 to 1.5.

There was also a solid win at Footscray on July 21, with ‘Town victorious 5 goals to ‘Scray’s one behind only. Ernie Warren kicked 3 of the goals. 42 majors were scored by the Villagers with 27 kicked against them, and Jimmy MacKrell and captain, Johnny Rees, led the goalkicking with 8 goals each. The Second Twenty played a few games and then went into recess owing to being unable to obtain sufficient players, and those not selected in the senior team then played with Williamstown Juniors. 

Energetic Club secretary, Duncan McLeod, saw the late season run of on-field success as the catalyst for elevation to senior ranks of the VFA. The improved performances, an enthusiastic Club administration, a membership of 205 and a controlling body willing to admit new clubs to the elite group due to the increasing public interest in the game was a fortuitous combination which saw the door open for Williamstown to take its biggest step-up in football history. Also in 1883, the Victorian Junior Football Association (VJFA) commenced after being formed in August of 1882 at a meeting at Young and Jackson’s Hotel, and Williamstown’s ‘Second Twenty’ or reserves played in that competition, along with other local teams Osborne, Alberts and Prince Imperial.

Williamstown Chronicle, October 6 1883 – the season concluded with a fancy costume match between Williamstown and a team of Crow Minstrels at the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on October 6 before a crowd of 2,000 spectators. The day was so successful that it was repeated on October 20 in order to raise funds for the local Ladies’ Benevolent Society but was played in reported heat of ‘123 degrees (50C) in the sun’.   

The long campaign for senior status was at last recognised and full membership of the VFA was granted to both the Williamstown and the newly-formed Fitzroy clubs at a meeting of the Association on March 7, 1884, at Young & Jackson’s Hotel. The admission of two new clubs brought the number of seniors back to eight (Carlton, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, Hotham, South Melbourne and Williamstown) but the prestige was offset by the indiscriminate entrance of other clubs to senior grade over the next few seasons. Fifteen clubs were competing by 1886, eighteen in 1887 and sixteen in 1888. This period created more dissatisfaction with VFA control and the older clubs resented the influx of so many newcomers and undoubtedly gave rise to a desire for another controlling body. Attempts to save the VFA by reducing the number of teams by 1888 failed to placate these strong clubs from the inner suburbs and, as we know, eight seceded to form the VFL in 1896.

nergetic secretary Duncan McLeod’s long campaign for senior status was at last recognised and full membership of the VFA was granted to both the Williamstown and the newly-formed Fitzroy clubs at a meeting of the Association on March 7, 1884, at Young & Jackson’s Hotel. The admission of two new clubs brought the number of seniors back to eight (Carlton, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, Hotham, South Melbourne and Williamstown) but the prestige was offset by the indiscriminate entrance of other clubs to senior grade over the next few seasons. Fifteen clubs were competing by 1886, eighteen in 1887 and sixteen in 1888. This period created more dissatisfaction with VFA control and the older clubs resented the influx of so many newcomers and undoubtedly gave rise to a desire for another controlling body. Attempts to save the VFA by reducing the number of teams by 1888 failed to placate these strong clubs from the inner suburbs and, as we know, eight seceded to form the VFL in 1896.

At the annual meeting held at the Mechanics Institute on March 25 in respect of the 1883 season, it was announced that, on account of Geelong having the same colours as Williamstown, the Club had decided to change to ‘dark blue jersey and knickerbockers, black and yellow hose, black cap with yellow maltese cross in centre.’

Departures from the 1883 playing list included Charles Alexander (back to Essendon) and William ‘Fatty’ McAlister (Melbourne), while George Hall crossed from Fitzroy and Charles Solomon joined from Sandhurst but moved to South Melbourne before the year was out. Billy Litchfield returned after a year with Hotham (North Melbourne). Williamstown’s first official match as a senior club in 1884 was played at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve on May 3 against Fitzroy. It was also Fitzroy’s first recorded game, and resulted in a win, 2.9 to Williamstown’s 0.4, before a modest crowd of 400. Ted Cherry was the first captain with Alick Alexander his deputy and Dick ‘Commotion’ James, Jack ‘Oily’ Clark, Jimmy MacKrell, ‘Cockle’ Matthews, Charlie Laming and G. Jones were named best players. Fred Ulbrick had replaced Alexander as vice-captain by the time ‘Town played at Hotham (North Melbourne) on August 16.

The team achieved its first competition points the following week when it drew with Hotham at Gardens Reserve, 2.12 to 2.7 (only goals counted at this stage of the game’s development, even though behinds were recorded). Jack ‘Oily’ Clark kicked both goals for Williamstown while Regan was best player. Future ‘Town players, Joey Tankard (1887) and Dick Houston (captain-coach 1900) both played for Hotham in this game, and Houston kicked one of the goals. The next encounter against a senior team was at South Melbourne against Melbourne on June 7 and the Villagers went down badly, 3.15 to 0.4. ‘Town visited South Melbourne again on June 14 and were again defeated by the locals, 5.10 to 2.4. 

The Club celebrated its first win over a fellow senior side when it lowered Carlton’s colours on the Garden Reserve on July 19, 4.15 to 2.12, with Fred Ulbrick named best player and G. Jones, Jack Clarke, Jack Kennedy and James Smith also doing well, while Harry Reid kicked 2 goals. The Villagers ventured to Corio the following week to take on Geelong at Corio but returned to Williamstown defeated by 6.13 to 3.8. The Villagers had to call in five substitutes, including Morgan who kicked one of ‘Town’s goals, when Berry, Bryant, George Hall, Charlie Laming and Billy Litchfield became unavailable. Fred Ulbrick was best player. 

Two weeks after the victory over Carlton, Williamstown visited Fitzroy for the first time and the seaside team failed to score while the home side kicked 5.12. Berry was best for ‘Town. This was the only occassion in the pre-VFL era when the Villagers failed to register even a behind. Despite this setback, ‘Town managed a draw with South Melbourne, 1.3 to 1.2, back at Gardens Reserve the next week, its best effort against this strong VFA club, with Jack Kennedy and Fred Ulbrick best for the Villagers. Ulbrick was the sole goalscorer for ‘Town, which held South scoreless in the first half. The return clash with Hotham at Arden St. on August 16 resulted in another draw, 1.16 to 1.5, with W. ‘Cockle’ Matthews best player and Jack Kennedy the goalkicker. ‘Town were soundly defeated at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve the following week by Essendon, 6.9 to 2.2, in front of a crowd of 2,000 spectators. The Villagers were weakened by the absence of Deeley and Regan and failed to score in the first half while the ‘Dons kicked 5.7. Jack Kennedy was named as the best player for Williamstown. 

The next match against a senior team was at Carlton’s Princes Oval on September 13, where the Blues triumphed 3.11 to 1.6. Jones was the goalkicker and best player for ‘Town, which only added one behind to the score in the second half. Melbourne visited Williamstown on September 20 and left victorious, 3.9 to 1.10. Godwin kicked the goal and Jack Clark was best for the Villagers. 

The biggest boilover of the season occurred on September 27 at the Garden Reserve in the last game of the season when Williamstown downed the previously unbeaten and eventual premier, Geelong, 3.11 to 2.9, with the Pivotonians, as Geelong were then known, scoreless in the first half after ‘Town won the crucial toss, kicked with a strong breeze and had 3.11 on the board by half-time but failed to add anything after the change of ends. Charlie Laming captained the Villagers in the absence of Ted Cherry, whilst vice-captain, Fred Ulbrick, was also unavailable as was regular player Berry. Jack Kennedy was named best player, while ‘Angry’ Orr, G. Jones and Kennedy kicked the goals. It was the only time that Williamstown was to defeat Geelong in the VFA. The season concluded on October 4 with the annual fancy costume match between the First and Second Twenties at the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve. 

The team finished last in its first senior season, winning only the two games against senior clubs Carlton and eventual premier Geelong, although there were also a victory over Ballarat at Gardens Reserve, 2.10 to 0.3, as well as a draw at the Saxon ground in Ballarat, 2.8 to 2.5. There were also draws against Hotham (twice) and South Melbourne. There were 23 games played in total including matches against junior clubs Melbourne Imperial, North Park, Osborne, Williamstown Juniors, Normanby and Union Jack, nine of which were won, eight lost and six drawn. 44 goals were scored of which Ernie Warren was the top goalkicker with 7, G. Jones 6, while Jimmy MacKrell and Jack Clark kicked 5. 47 goals were kicked by opposition teams. The Second Twenty played 16 matches for four victories, seven defeats and five draws. 

Junior club, Sandridge, changed its name to Port Melbourne in this year, in line with the change of name of the suburb. Williamstown Juniors were also admitted to the Victorian Junior Football Association in May 1884 and finished third with 14 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their first season. A bell was used for the first time in this season to signal the beginning, half-time and end of games by nominated time-keepers rather than the central umpire. The use of a bell became an official VFA practice in 1885 and there were calls for the use of whistles by umpires. Martin Joseph ‘Tottie’ Fitzpatrick appeared on the scene in this season, becoming secretary to the Second Eighteen, Williamstown Juniors and assistant secretary to Williamstown seniors, as well as playing in the First and Second Twenties.