Bill Proudfoot

Bill Proudfoot
Personal information
Full name	William Proudfoot
Date of birth	11 June 1868
Date of death	11 January 1931 (aged 62)
Original team(s)	Britannia
Height/Weight	184 cm / 102 kg
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1897–1906	Collingwood	108 (0)
^1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1906 season.

William 'Bill' Proudfoot (11 June 1868 – 11 January 1931)^[1] was a leading Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Victorian Football Association (VFA).

A solidly built fullback, Proudfoot was a member of Collingwood's inaugural VFA side in 1892. He became the first ever Collingwood player to represent Victoria when selected to play against South Australia in 1894. Proudfoot was involved in an infamous incident during a game for Collingwood against North Melbourne in July 1896 when at half-time a riot occurred with the crowd invading the field and turning on the umpire Roberts.^[2] Proudfoot, while attempting to stop the umpire from getting injured, was himself badly beaten in the melee.^[3]

Following the formation of the Victorian Football League in 1897, Proudfoot was Collingwood captain in 1898 and also had the role for the latter half of 1899 and in 1901. Proudfoot played in Collingwood's first two VFL premiership winning sides; in 1902 and 1903.

Off the football field Proudfoot was a police constable and was banned from playing football by his commissioner. He continued to play however under an assumed name.

References

1. "Bill Proudfoot". Collingwood Forever. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
2. Atkinson, pp. 11-12.
3. McClure, Geoff (21 March 2005). "Sporting Life". The Age. Retrieved 10 January 2011.

Sources

• Atkinson, G. (1982) Everything you ever wanted to know about Australian rules football but couldn't be bothered asking, The Five Mile Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0 86788 009 0.

External links

• Bill Proudfoot's statistics from AFL Tables
• Bill Proudfoot's profile from AustralianFootball.com