1920s - Williamstown Football Club

1920's

Season by Season Summaries

Season Summary: 1920

Season Summary: 1921

Year	President	Treasurer	Secretary	Assistant Secretary
1920	John Anthony Dennis	J.A. Sinclair	Tom Spencer	George Musicka
1921	H.W. Ditty	Les Donaldson	Les Thompson	A. Richardson
1922	H.W. Ditty	Les Donaldson	Les Thompson/Arthur Johnson jnr	Tim Richardson
1923	J.J. Liston	Les Donaldson	Arthur Johnson jnr	Steve Jessop
1924	J.J. Liston	W.J. Martin	Tim Richardson	A. Richardson
1925	J.J. Liston	Jack Emmerson	W.J. Martin	Joe Black
1926	J.J. Liston	Jack Emmerson	Allan McColl	Joe Black
1927	J.J. Liston	Jack Emmerson	Allan McColl/Joe Black	Joe Black/Len Wignall
1928	J.J. Liston	Jack Emmerson	Joe Black	Len Wignall
1929	J.J. Liston	Ernie Young	Harold Hosking	Ron Stevenson

Year	Coach	Captain	Vice-Captain	Leading Goalkicker
1920	Harry Haughton	Harry Haughton	Jack MacDonald	Harry Haughton (24)
1921	Jim Caldwell	Jim Caldwell	Dick Condon	Jim McAuliffe (63)
1922	Jim Caldwell	Jim Caldwell	Dick Condon	Jim McAuliffe (48)
1923	Charlie Laxton	Charlie Laxton/Tom O'Halloran	Tom O'Halloran/Fred Carpenter	Fred Carpenter (63)
1924	Fred Carpenter	Fred Carpenter	Aub Holten	Fred Carpenter (34)
1925	George King	Hugh Munro	George King	Norm McDonald (13)
1926	Johnny Martin snr	Johnny Martin snr	Sid Conlon	Frank Rigaldi (20)
1927	Jack Lord	Jack Lord	Leon Beer	A.W. Parker (19)
1928	Leon Beer	Leon Beer	Hugh Munro	Tom Kenny (18)
1929	George Beasley	George Beasley	Norm McDonald	Jack O'Brien (32)

Harry Haughton of Carlton was appointed captain-coach for the 1920 season, after 113 games and 49 goals from 1912-19 with the Blues, including their 1914-15 premiership teams and the 1916 runner-up side.

Jim 'Ginger' Caldwell, the youngest member of the 1907 premiership team, returned from South Melbourne as playing coach for the 1921 season after having captained South's 1918 VFL premiership side and having represented Victoria. Older brothers, Arthur and Bob, had also played for Williamstown, the former having been killed at Gallipoli during World War I.

Phil Skehan, a premiership teammate of Caldwell's and a butcher located in Douglas Parade, Williamstown, also moved across from South after the start of the season and, in his first game, against Essendon Town at Windy Hill in round 6, he collided with F. Richards of Essendon about 10 minutes into the first quarter and suffered severe concussion and a broken right leg. He died in hospital without regaining consciousness six days later from hypostatic pneumonia and concussion of the brain at the age of 26. He was the first VFA/VFL footballer to have lost his life as a result of an on-field injury. He had only received his transfer from South the Wednesday before the game.

A team photo taken at Williamstown during 1921, before the game against Prahran in round 2. The original timber pavilion at the ground can be seen in the background. Jack MacDonald is second from the right in the middle row and Ruben Smith, father of five-time premiership player and former Club games record-holder, Ray Smith, is second from the left in the middle row. Ruben played 17 games and kicked 4 goals from 1919-21 after coming from Yarraville Juniors. Second from the right in the back row is head trainer of the 1920's, Bob Daval, who crossed to Richmond in 1927, became head trainer there in 1936 and received life membership of the Tigers in 1947 after 19 years of service.

1921 premiership squad

Back row: Dave Elliman*, Bob King*, Jim Jamieson*, Charlie Stanbridge*, Cyril 'Pompy' Blunt, Harry Haughton*, Bob Clark, Richard 'Ginger' Armstrong*, Tom Geisler*

Middle row: Hugh Munro*, Fred Carpenter*, Herb Miles*, Jim Caldwell (captain-coach)*, Dick Condon (vice-captain)*, Jim McAuliffe*, Jack MacDonald*

Front row: Jack O'Connell*, Laurie Smith*, Stan Mitchell*, Norm McDonald*

* = played in 1921 grand final v. Footscray at Brunswick St, won by Williamstown 8.9.57 to 5.9.39

The Herald June 17, 1922 - 'Corker' Jamieson was first ruck in Williamstown's 1921 premiership team after coming from Williamstown Juniors in 1919. He played 43 games and kicked 8 goals up until the end of 1922. He was the uncle of Stan 'Nugget' Jamieson who played in 'Town's 1939 premiership side and the 1941 Seconds pennant team, both games being played on the MCG. Stan Jamieson and Jim Quinn are the only two Williamstown players to feature in two premierships played on the MCG. Jim Jamieson also played in premierships with Williamstown Juniors in 1916, when vice-captain, and 1919.

John 'Jack' Martin joined Williamstown from Footscray in 1923 after playing in the Tricolours' 1919 and 1920 premiership sides and the 1921 team that was runner-up to Williamstown. He then went to Kingsville as captain-coach after round 1 of the 1924 season but ended the season as coach of Williamstown CYMS. After coaching CY's again in 1925 he returned to Williamstown as captain-coach in 1926 before returning to CY's as non-playing coach in 1928. He also coached CY's in 1947 after the war.

JJ Liston assumed the presidency in 1923 and would serve in that role until 1930. He then became VFA president until his death in 1944 at the age of 71.

Late in the 1923 season the Mayor and President of the Club, J.J. Liston, unveiled an honour board in the pavilion containing the names of all the local players who had gone overseas with the armed forces during the First World War.

Don postcard of 1924 captain-coach Fred Carpenter. Carpenter first played for Yarraville as a 15yo in 1907 before crossing to Williamstown the same season. He then went to North Melbourne Juniors from where he was recruited by South Melbourne where he played 52 games and kicked 68 goals from 1908-13 and 1919-20. He also played for North Melbourne's VFA team from round 7 of the 1913 season before he went on war service from 1914-17. In 1918 he captained-coached Williamstown Juniors to the grand final of the VJFA which was lost to Footscray Juniors by 16 points. Carpenter returned to Williamstown during the 1920 season and played in the 1921 premiership team and the grand final of 1924 which was lost to Footscray, 11.11.77 to 3.4.22. This was the last VFA game for the Tricolours who joined the VFL the following season along with North Melbourne and Hawthorn. It was also the last appearance for Williamstown of Carpenter who went on to captain-coach Port Melbourne in 1925 and 1926 and then play for Port from 1927-29 after buying a business there. He was the oldest player in the Association in 1929 at 39 years of age. He played a total of 108 games and kicked 235 goals for Williamstown and led the Club goalkicking in 1923 with 63 majors, which equalled the tally of Jim McAuliffe in the 1921 season, which was the highest in the Club's history to that point in time. It also placed Carpenter as runner-up on the VFA goalkicking list, just two behind the 65 goals kicked by George 'Toots' Taylor of Port Melbourne. He also led the Club goalkicking in 1924 with a total of 35 majors. After retiring, he became a VFA goal umpire. Carpenter passed away on 14 March 1976 at the age of 83 at Port Melbourne.

The Argus, June 16 1924 - a crowd scene from the round 8 game at Port Melbourne, won by Williamstown by 21 points, 8.14.62 to Port's 5.11.41

Leo Drew joined Williamstown in 1927 from Kingsville and played 83 games up until the end of 1933. He transferred to Daylesford in 1931 but returned to Williamstown in 1932. He captain-coached the Seconds in 1935. He is pictured here on a W.D. & H.O. Wills cigarette card in his last senior season.

VFA Recorder from round 1, 1928, of the Williamstown v. Port Melbourne game at Williamstown, won by Port 6.14.50 to 2.3.15.

Jim 'Sandy' Sinclair came to Williamstown from Yarraville during 1929 after earlier having played 6 games with Hawthorn in 1927. He would go on to play 70 games and kick 115 goals from 1929-34, leading the Club goalkicking in 1931 (31 goals) and 1932 (29 goals). He crossed to Darling during 1933 but returned to Williamstown in 1934 before transferring to Werribee during the 1934 season. He passed away on September 9, 2005, aged 98.