Bill Spurling
Personal information
Full name William David Spurling
Date of birth 28 October 1907
Place of birth Footscray, Victoria
Date of death 13 April 1972(1972-04-13) (aged 64)
Place of death Oakleigh, Victoria
Original team(s) Trentham
Height 179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 78 kg (172 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1928–1935 Footscray 98 (70)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1935.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

William David Spurling (28 October 1907 – 13 April 1972)[1][2] was an Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

In his early years Spurling grew up in the suburb of Williamstown, Victoria not far from St. Mary's Catholic Church. The family lived in a large house and his father, David, ran a successful tailoring company in Footscray, now known as Spurling Formalwear. At the age of 10 years he was enrolled at St. Joseph's Christian Brothers College, North Melbourne. One year later he played with that schools junior football team, losing only two games for the entire season.[3] That same year Spurling was declared the schools Champion Under 14 Handball player. On leaving school he entered his father's business.

As his abilities strengthened Spurling became a key position player on the football field who was used mostly as a centre half-forward.[2] He kicked a career high 24 goals in 1931 and polled nine Brownlow votes.[4] In the same year he also represented the Victorian interstate team twice.[5]

In 1936 he joined Kyneton in the Bendigo Football League and played in their premiership. He won the league's best and fairest award, the Fred Wood Medal in his first season[6][7] and in 1939, he was reappointed as their coach.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Spurling.
  1. ↑ "Australia Death Index, 1787-1985". Ancestry. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Bill Spurling - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Concerning the Christian Brothers' College, St. Joseph's, North Melbourne 1919 (annual magazine) p.23-25
  4. ↑ AFL Tables: Bill Spurling
  5. ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
  6. ↑ "1936 - Best & Fairest". Weekly Times. 24 October 1936. p. 71. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "1936 - Bendigo Football". The Age. 16 October 1936. p. 16. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "SPURLING REAPPOINTED". (1939, 18 March). The Argus (Melbourne), p. 16. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
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