Who is Tom Wills???

[Hawkers Hero]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out here.

The AFL has designated Round 19 of next season as the 'Tom Wills Round' according to the interactive fixture released today.

Was just wondering if this had something to do with Heritage Round which seesm to have gone missing from next years fixture.

 

[huntos]

He invented footy.

He also was the first person to take a tour to England with an Australian cricket team, a team of aboriginals believe it or not.

 

[Subprime]

Tom Wills' life is the subject of a novel "The Call" by Martin Flanagan published by One Day Hill. I recommend it.

http://www.onedayhill.com.au/titles.htm#thecall

 

[jim boy]

Literally the first and possibly the most colourful player to play footy. Was a top cricketer as well. Super athlete who was also somewhat of a drunkard. Founded both the Melbourne and Geelong teams.

End up committing suicide by knifing himself.

 

[Aristotel]

Literally the first and possibly the most colourful player to play footy. Was a top cricketer as well. Super athlete who was also somewhat of a drunkard. Founded both the Melbourne and Geelong teams.

End up committing suicide by knifing himself.

What?

 

[Hawkers Hero]

Thanks for that everyone

 

[jacko57]

Tom Wills' life is the subject of a novel "The Call" by Martin Flanagan published by One Day Hill. I recommend it.

http://www.onedayhill.com.au/titles.htm#thecall

Yep, a good read.

 

[scarecrow2k1]

What?

Exactly as written. He killed himself, died relatively young

 

[Running Dog]

Thanks for that everyone

You would probably enjoy reading Geoffrey Blainey's history of the origins of Australian Rules, "A Game Of Our Own". (Available in many public libraries.) Good explanation of Wills' place in the development of the game.

 

[MarkT]

It is not beyond dispute that he invented our code of footy. There are fair arguments that he ripped it off the indigenous population. Still wouldn't have been what it is without him but there are probably gaps in the white recording of history as usual.


FWIW:
http://www.aboriginalfootball.com.au/marngrook.html

There may be a very good reason for Aboriginals to seem so naturally talented when playing “our” game.

 

[Mero]

It is not beyond dispute that he invented our code of footy. There are fair arguments that he ripped it off the indigenous population. Still wouldn't have been what it is without him but there are probably gaps in the white recording of history as usual.


FWIW:
http://www.aboriginalfootball.com.au/marngrook.html

There may be a very good reason for Aboriginals to seem so naturally talented when playing “our” game.

Marn Grook was basically kicking a ball as high as one could.
Apparently, the idea was to jump high for the ball, then whoever marked it go to kick it.
However, the high mark was not part of Australian football for 50 years after it was invented.
Also, the rules of rugby, as it was then, are closer to Aussie Rules than they are now.

Nice story, but unlikely to be factual.
Wills, Harrison, Hammersley, Thompson & Smith write the rules over 7 years, and there is absolutely no actual evidence that even suggests Marn Grook had any influence over them at all, other than it would be nice to think so.
They are more likely to have been influenced by Irish immigrants who had experienced Irish football, and its unique rules, which had been played since 1712, but had never had the rules published.
(They finally were in 1887, but only then as a call to play the Irish game, and not the supposed English games of rugby and soccer)

 

[BIGBEZ]

Literally the first and possibly the most colourful player to play footy. Was a top cricketer as well. Super athlete who was also somewhat of a drunkard. Founded both the Melbourne and Geelong teams.

End up committing suicide by knifing himself.

Knifing himself?? Pretty nasty stuff!

 

[Burzum]

What?

He stabbed himself with a pair of scissors.

 

[wasupwidat]

Literally the first and possibly the most colourful player to play footy. Was a top cricketer as well. Super athlete who was also somewhat of a drunkard. Founded both the Melbourne and Geelong teams.

End up committing suicide by knifing himself.

yeah his wife didn't have the courage to stop him

 

[peterss]

Would that eman that the Tom Wills round will be the heritage round with a new name?

 

[BIGBEZ]

He stabbed himself with a pair of scissors.

I dont meen to sound morbid, but where exactly did he stab himself with scissors?

 

[Burzum]

I dont meen to sound morbid, but where exactly did he stab himself with scissors?

In the chest.

 

[BIGBEZ]

In the chest.

Thats pretty hardcore!

 

[Big Turls]

Thats pretty hardcore!

Very hardcore indeed.

 

[old_clint]

In the chest.

More specifically, three times in the heart. Contrary to what has been posted his wife Sarah (also a heavyish drinker) did try to stop him. And he didn't get to go to England with the Aboriginal Test team but he did set the thing in motion.
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/171_11_061299/demoore/demoore.html

 

[BIGBEZ]

More specifically, three times in the heart. Contrary to what has been posted his wife Sarah (also a heavyish drinker) did try to stop him. And he didn't get to go to England with the Aboriginal Test team but he did set the thing in motion.
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/171_11_061299/demoore/demoore.html

Are you suggesting murdered??

 

[scottwade]

Still can't figure out how the criteria for a 'legend' in the AFL Hall of Fame manages to exclude the possibility of Wills being recognised.
He is a member, but was inducted as an administrator, not as coach or player (and therefore as I understand ineligible to be a legend).
Especially when you consider that 'legends' are selected on the basis of "..having made a particularly positive impact on the game of Australian Football".
I would have thought 'inventing' (or at least codifying) the game, founding the Geelong & Melbourne clubs and being Melbourne's first captain & secretary would be a relatively 'positive impact' on Aussie Rules.

 

[old_clint]

Are you suggesting murdered??

No. Willsy was prone to severe bouts of Delerium Tremens (as is the wont of the serious alcoholic) and was in the throes of his last episode when he grabbed the scissors. I don't think he was quite sure what he was doing at the time.

 

[BIGBEZ]

No. Willsy was prone to severe bouts of Delerium Tremens (as is the wont of the serious alcoholic) and was in the throes of his last episode when he grabbed the scissors. I don't think he was quite sure what he was doing at the time.[/quot


Three time in the heart??? You would think that would be impossible after the first stab! Must be a serious ailment this 'Delerium Tremens'!

 

[rogernumber10]

Still can't figure out how the criteria for a 'legend' in the AFL Hall of Fame manages to exclude the possibility of Wills being recognised.
He is a member, but was inducted as an administrator, not as coach or player (and therefore as I understand ineligible to be a legend).
Especially when you consider that 'legends' are selected on the basis of "..having made a particularly positive impact on the game of Australian Football".
I would have thought 'inventing' (or at least codifying) the game, founding the Geelong & Melbourne clubs and being Melbourne's first captain & secretary would be a relatively 'positive impact' on Aussie Rules.

Legends in the Hall of Fame had to be purely for playing record, until it got changed two years ago to include coaches, with McHale and Smith since going in.
While Wills' record is long and stellar off the field, and apparently very good on the field too as a champion of the colony way back when he played, you look at the Legends he's up against and ask who were you going to ditch in 1996 of the original 10 -- Barassi, Matthews, Skilton, Nicholls, Coleman, Whitten, Reynolds, Dyer, Farmer and Bunton?????