Wally Donald
Encyclopedia
Wally Donald was recruited by Footscray Football Club (now Western Bulldogs
) in the Victorian Football League
, now Australian Football League, in 1946 from Braybrook
. He played only one senior game that year, but from 1947 to 1957 he was a fixture in the Footscray team. By 1949, Donald was established as one of the best defenders in the league, and in 1950 he represented Victoria during the Brisbane Carnival
. Donald even did fairly well in the Brownlow Medal
that year, polling a total of nine votes out of a career total of 27.
His unique understanding with full-back Herb Henderson
, made for an almost impassable backline, whose record of conceding only 959 points in the 1953 home-and-away season. He was a member of Footscray's 1954 premiership team
(playing his landmark 150th game in the Grand Final), and was chosen as a member of the Bulldogs Team of the Century in 2000.
Donald played a total of 205 games for one goal — curiously kicked in exactly his 100th game in round eight (the "National Day Round") of the 1952 season, when a depleted Footscray (its stars playing at the MCG for Victoria) was beaten by St Kilda on a very muddy ground at Yallourn — won Best and Fairest
in 1949 and was runner-up in 1952, 1953 and 1954. He retired in 1958 after being dropped from the senior side after two games.
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
) 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...
, now Australian Football League, in 1946 from Braybrook
Braybrook, Victoria
Braybrook is a suburb 9 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Braybrook had a population of 6940....
. He played only one senior game that year, but from 1947 to 1957 he was a fixture in the Footscray team. By 1949, Donald was established as one of the best defenders in the league, and in 1950 he represented Victoria during the Brisbane Carnival
1950 Brisbane Carnival
The 1950 Brisbane Carnival was the 11th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the first carnival to be hosted in Queensland....
. Donald even did fairly well in the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
that year, polling a total of nine votes out of a career total of 27.
His unique understanding with full-back Herb Henderson
Herb Henderson
Herb Henderson is a former Australian rules footballer who was recruited by Footscray Football Club , in the Victorian Football League, now AFL from Mildura Imperials for the 1950 season...
, made for an almost impassable backline, whose record of conceding only 959 points in the 1953 home-and-away season. He was a member of Footscray's 1954 premiership team
1954 VFL Grand Final
The 1954 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Footscray Football Club and Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 25 September 1954. It was the 58th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers...
(playing his landmark 150th game in the Grand Final), and was chosen as a member of the Bulldogs Team of the Century in 2000.
Donald played a total of 205 games for one goal — curiously kicked in exactly his 100th game in round eight (the "National Day Round") of the 1952 season, when a depleted Footscray (its stars playing at the MCG for Victoria) was beaten by St Kilda on a very muddy ground at Yallourn — won Best and Fairest
Charles Sutton Medal
The Charles Sutton Medal is awarded to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for the Western Bulldogs. Scott West holds the record at the club, winning seven medals, followed by Gary Dempsey, with six...
in 1949 and was runner-up in 1952, 1953 and 1954. He retired in 1958 after being dropped from the senior side after two games.