Bill McCabe (Australian sportsman)

{{Short description|Australian sportsman (1935–2023)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2011}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Bill McCabe

| image =

| fullname = William Hascott McCabe

| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|8|30|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|10|16|1935|8|30|df=y}}

| death_place = Queensland, Australia

| height = 189 cm

| weight = 92 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1959

| years1 = 1957–59

| club1 = North Melbourne

| games_goals1 = 13 (0)

| careerhighlights =

}}

William Hascott McCabe (30 August 1935 – 16 October 2023) was an Australian rules footballer and Olympian. He played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and represented Australia in Water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

McCabe, a goalkeeper, was the youngest member of Australia's water polo team in the Melbourne Olympics, at 21 years of age. He played against Great Britain, Singapore and the Soviet Union.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/william-mccabe-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418070909/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/william-mccabe-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-18| title=William McCabe Biography and Olympic Results| publisher=Sports Reference}} One of his teammates was St Kilda forward Peter Bennett.

The following year McCabe made his VFL debut with North Melbourne and made four appearances in total for his debut season. In 1958 the club had a strong season and finished in third position but McCabe could only put together two games.{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/B/Bill_McCabe1.html| title=Bill McCabe| publisher=AFL Tables}} His father, also named Bill, played 42 games for North Melbourne.

Bill McCabe died in Queensland on 16 October 2023, at the age of 88.{{cite web|title=Death and Funeral Notices|publisher=The Age|url= https://tributes.theage.com.au/obituaries/492875/william-bill-hascott-mccabe/?r=https://tributes.theage.com.au/obituaries/theage-au/ |access-date=21 October 2023}}