William John Griffiths (5 April 1879 – 16 October 1928) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| Bill Griffiths | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | William John Griffiths | ||
| Date of birth | 5 April 1879 | ||
| Place of birth | Flemington, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 16 October 1928 (aged 49) | ||
| Place of death | Melbourne | ||
| Original team(s) | Essendon Town | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1903 | Fitzroy | 8 (2) | |
| 1904–1905 | South Melbourne | 9 (0) | |
| Total | 17 (2) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1905. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Griffiths played his early football at Essendon Town, in the Victorian Football Association.[1]
He appeared eight times for Fitzroy in the 1903 VFL season but was not selected in the finals.[2] The following year he took the field with South Melbourne and played eight games in his first season and one more in 1905.[2]
Griffiths was a field umpire for one league game in 1911 and a boundary umpire in 19 games between 1911 and 1913.[3]
After retiring from football, Griffiths kept active as a district cricketer and spent some time with the St Kilda Cricket Club. He was a member of the Elsternwick second eleven when he was killed in 1928, while practicing. A ball had struck him on the head as he was attempting to take a catch and he suffered a skull fracture. He was taken to The Alfred Hospital but died soon after.[4]
References edit
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
- ^ a b AFL Tables: Bill Griffiths
- ^ "William Griffiths". AFLUA. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013.
- ^ The Argus, "Cricketer And Footballer – Death of W. Griffiths", 18 October 1928. p. 14
External links edit
- Bill Griffiths's playing statistics from AFL Tables