Bill Adams

Athlete

1900 –

46

Who is Bill Adams?

William "Bill" Adams was an Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League before becoming coach of South Melbourne. He also went by his nickname of "Bull" during his career.

Adams was originally from South Fremantle where he played 32 games from his debut in 1921. In his first season he was included in the Western Australian squad for the Perth Carnival, but did not manage a game. Adams came to Melbourne in 1923 to play with Fitzroy, but was refused a clearance by South Fremantle and instead became captain-coach of Preston in the Victorian Junior Football Association. Adams was cleared the following year and played in the Fitzroy side which contested the finals that season. He was club captain for their 1926 campaign and as well as finishing equal fifth in the Brownlow Medal count he represented Victoria at interstate football that year. A tough and physical player, Adams spent most of his time in defence but was also used on the ball.

In 1927 he left Fitzroy and joined Northcote in the Victorian Football Association where he faced a unique challenge. That year, Doug Nicholls became one of the first aboriginals to play senior football in Melbourne and according to Mavis Thorp Clark in her 1965 book on Nicholls, Pastor Doug, Adams warned the players before taking the ground that although "they had colour in the side, they were to kick to the guernsey and disregard the colour".

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Born
Dec 11, 1900

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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