Bill Shelton (footballer born 1936)
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Shelton is a former Australian rules football
er who played with Hawthorn
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
Shelton played only 12 senior games for Hawthorn, in three seasons, but performed well enough in the reserves to win a Gardiner Medal
in 1959.
He had been just five years of age when his father, Jack
, died at Tobruk in World War II
. Jack Shelton had played league football for St Kilda and South Melbourne
. Bill's cousin, Ian
, was also a VFL footballer. Their grandfather, Richard, father of Jack, was famously saved from drowning in a swollen creek by Ned Kelly
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL).
Shelton played only 12 senior games for Hawthorn, in three seasons, but performed well enough in the reserves to win a Gardiner Medal
Gardiner Medal
The Gardiner Medal was an Australian rules football award, formerly awarded to the best and fairest player in the VFL Reserves competition.Officially named the Seconds prior to 1959 and the Reserves from 1959 onwards, the competition ran from 1919 until 1999 and the medal was first awarded in...
in 1959.
He had been just five years of age when his father, Jack
Jack Shelton
Jack Shelton is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and South Melbourne. Sometimes known as "J. A. Shelton", probably a reference to Avenel and to distinguish him from another J. F. Shelton playing for St Kilda at the same time. The father of William Shelton, he was killed...
, died at Tobruk in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Jack Shelton had played league football for St Kilda and South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
. Bill's cousin, Ian
Ian Shelton (footballer)
Ian "Bluey" Shelton , known throughout his career as "Bluey", due to his thatch of red hair, was an Australian rules footballer, who played with Essendon in the VFL during the 1960s....
, was also a VFL footballer. Their grandfather, Richard, father of Jack, was famously saved from drowning in a swollen creek by Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
.