Bill Goddard (footballer)

Bill Goddard
Personal information
Full name	William G. Goddard
Date of birth	24 February 1880
Date of death	26 August 1939(1939-08-26) (aged 59)
Original team	North Fremantle (WAFA)
Position(s)	Centreman
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1907-08 1910 1911 Total	South Melbourne Carlton St Kilda	28 (17) 13 0(2) 07 0(0) 48 (19)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 1911 season.

William 'Bill' Goddard (24 February 1880 - 26 August 1939)^[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne, Carlton and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

A late comer to VFL football, Goddard played a game for South Fremantle in 1900 and spent five years at North Fremantle before going to Victoria. He had previously visited the eastern state in 1904 when he toured with the Western Australian interstate football team.

Goddard, who was a centreman, performed well in his first season at South Melbourne but missed out on a place in their 1907 Grand Final team. He crossed to Carlton after two years and would be used by the club as a defender.

In a tumultuous season for Carlton, which began with the sacking of coach Jack Worrall and ended with two players suspended for taking bribes, they still managed to make the Grand Final. This time Goddard was picked for the Grand Final and played the premiership decider from the back pocket, as Carlton went down to Collingwood by 14 points.

Goddard continued to play in the WAFL well into his 30s and was a member of East Fremantle's 1914 premiership side. His final season was in 1918 and only an injury stopped him from ending his career with another premiership, with East Fremantle winning that year's Grand Final.

See also

• 1908 Melbourne Carnival

References

• Bill Goddard's statistics from AFL Tables
• Full Points Footy: William Goddard
• Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.