| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Keato | |||||
| Born | Australia | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Fullback | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1938–50 | Wests (Sydney) | 124 | 6 | 377 | 0 | 772 |
| As of 11 July 2009 | ||||||
| Source: Bill Keato at Yesterday's hero | ||||||
William Keato is a retired Australian rugby league footballer who played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies from 1938 till 1950. A goal-kicking fullback he played over one hundred first grade games for the Magpies.
Keato made his debut in 1938 without ever having played any junior league. He has said that his "first playing bonus for the season was £13",[1] £3 of which was spent on boots.
He scored over 770 points to become Wests' all-time top point-scorer and goal-kicker. He twice scored the most points in the League for a season, in 1949 (163 points) and 1950 (180 points). His career totals might have been much higher had it not been for a period serving in the Australian Army. He played just four games from 1943 to 1945. His younger brother Alan also played for Wests and later died in World War II.[2]
Keato returned to Sydney in early 1946 after being released from the services.[3] He played in the 1948 premiership-winning side, kicking a goal.[4] The victory denied Balmain a third straight premiership.
In his last game, the 1950 Grand Final, although heavily concussed, Keato kicked six goals. The Magpies still lost to Souths in a close match, watched by over 32,000 people at the Sydney Sports Ground.
Following his retirement from playing Keato served as the club's secretary and treasurer, his involvement with Wests lasting over four decades,[5] and has since become the oldest living Magpies player. He was a nominee for the Wests Tigers team of the century,[6] and was made a life member of the Western Suburbs club.[7]
Keato was inducted into the Western Suburbs Magpies Hall of Fame in 2010.[8]
|
|||||