Bill Busbridge

One of seven children (one of whom was Norm Busbridge), Busbridge was born to William Ethebert Busbridge (1861–1937)[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11109943 Deaths: Busbridge], The Argus, (Saturday, 7 August 1937), p.7 and Margaret Jane Busbridge (1870–1895), née Smith,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197204809 Deaths: Busbridge], The Age, (Saturday, 29 September 1895), p.3 in the Essendon district on 31 January 1885.https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au birth certificate #2396/1885

He married Ethel Essendon Dean (1888–1971) on 14 December 1912.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143282114/15094571 Weddings: Busbridge—Dean], The Australasian, (Saturday, 21 December 1912), p.49; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146322591/17421014 Weddings: Mr. William E. Busbridge to Miss Ethel Dean], Table Talk, (Thursday, 26 December 1912), p.17 They had one surviving son, Keith Ethelbert (1917–1985).[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7281619 Births: Busbridge], The Argus, (Saturday, 27 September 1913), p.11; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1501057 Births: Busbridge], The Argus, (Saturday, 6 March 1915), p.13[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=420550 World War II Nominal Roll: Busbridge, Keith Ethelbert (VX5073).]

Busbridge died in a Geelong private hospital on 12 June 1943,[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11335178 Deaths: Busbridge], The Argus, (Monday, 14 June 1943), p.2{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11335209 |title=DEATH OF FORMER FOOTBALLER |newspaper=The Argus |issue=30,201 |location=Melbourne|date=14 June 1943 |accessdate=5 March 2018 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au death certificate #17717/1943 and was cremated at Fawkner Crematorium on 14 June 1943.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11344432 Funeral of Former Essendon Footballer], The Argus, (Tuesday, 15 June 1943), p.4.

Debuting at the age of 17, he played for the VFA team Essendon Town in 1902 and 1903 (31 games and 16 goals).

Sought by Carlton, South Melbourne, and Essendon, and refused a clearance by Essendon Town ("in view of the club's good prospects, and the fine form shown by you, it is not in the best interests of the club that you be given a clearance"), he was cleared to play with Essendon at the 4 May 1904 meeting of the VFL Permit Committee.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10317742 Migratory Footballers], The Argus, (Thursday, 5 May 1904), p.9 Busbridge went on to win consecutive Best and Fairests in 1908 and 1909. He was a premiership player with the Essendon in 1911 when they beat Collingwood by a single goal.

He represented Victoria in the inaugural Australasian Football championships in Melbourne, in August 1908.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60316108 |title=SOUTH AUSTRALIA DEFEATED. |newspaper=The Register |volume=LXXIII |issue=19,279 |location=Adelaide |date=27 August 1908 |accessdate=5 March 2018 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}

His career came to a premature end when a knee injury forced him to retire in July 1912.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241625289 |title=BUSBRIDGE RETIRES. |newspaper=The Herald |issue=11,453 |location=Melbourne|date=19 July 1912 |accessdate=5 March 2018 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1913, he was coaching the Geelong Grammar School's First XVIII.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149128353 Geelong Still Losing, The Geelong Advertiser, (Monday, 23 June 1913), p.2]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149131887 Public School's Football], The Geelong Advertiser, (Saturday, 19 July 1913), p.7

As an interim measure, he was appointed coach of the Geelong Association Football Club for the 1925 season.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/211033422 Geelong Association: Mr. W. Busbridge Appointed Coach], The Geelong Advertiser, (Thursday, 19 March 1925), p.7 Ex-Fitzroy footballer, and former Geelong (VFL) coach, Bert Taylor, was appointed captain-coach for the 1926 season.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232280578 Players Entertained], The Geelong Advertiser, (Monday, 4 October 1926), p.5

In September 1909 The Argus newspaper organised a vote by its readers to see who were regarded as the most popular champion players in the VFL and VFA.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10732727 'Observer', "Football Champion: Who Is He?: A Popular Vote], The Argus, (Friday, 10 September 1909), p.5 Over 105,000 votes were cast. Busbridge won the League vote (16,592 votes in a total of 64,801) from South Melbourne's Charlie Ricketts (15,232 votes) — a former Essendon team-mate of Busbridge, playing with Brunswick Football Club, Jack McKenzie won the Association vote (17,884 votes in a total of 40,331) from former Geelong footballer Ike Woods, playing with Prahran Football Club (10,317 votes).{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/356973 |title=FOOTBALL CHAMPION. RESULT OF PLEBISCITE. |newspaper=The Argus |issue=19,715 |location=Melbourne|date=27 September 1909 |accessdate=5 March 2018 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 2002 an Essendon panel ranked him at 14 in their Champions of Essendon list of the 25 greatest players ever to have played for Essendon.

• 1908 Melbourne Carnival

{{Reflist}}

• Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. {{ISBN|0-9591740-2-8}}
• Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. {{ISBN|0-670-86814-0}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{AFL Tables|ref=B/Bill_Busbridge.html}}
• {{AustralianFootball|ref=bill%2Bbusbridge/1865}}
• [http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Busbridge,_William_'Bill'.php William "Bill" Busbridge], at The VFA Project.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080328070818/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/champions/profile.asp?ID=8 Essendon Football Club, "Champions of Essendon" Profile: Bill Busbridge]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120424015415/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/team/player-past.asp?id=116 Essendon Football Club profile]

{{1911 Essendon premiership players}}

{{W. S. Crichton Medal}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Busbridge, Bill}}

Category:1885 births

Category:1943 deaths

Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne

Category:Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents

Category:Champions of Essendon

Category:Essendon Football Club players

Category:Essendon Football Club premiership players

Category:Essendon Association Football Club players

Category:Crichton Medal winners

Category:VFL/AFL premiership players

Category:People from Essendon, Victoria

Category:Australian rules football coaches