Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Arnold Stanley Byfield

Known as
Arnold 'Bud' Byfield

Nickname
Bud

Born
1 November 1923

Place of birth
Northam, WA (6401)

Died
4 July 2015 (aged 91)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 22y 191d
Last game: 22y 338d

Height and weight
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Senior clubs
Claremont; Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 34

Recruited from
Claremont (1946); Melbourne (1947)

State of origin
WA

Hall of fame
Western Australian Football Hall Of Fame (2004)

Arnold 'Bud' Byfield

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
ClaremontWANFL1940-1941, 1945, 194736421.17
MelbourneV/AFL194618100.5672%0
Total1940-1941, 1945-194754520.96

AFL: 5,559th player to appear, 6,795th most games played, 4,987th most goals kickedMelbourne: 664th player to appear, 613th most games played, 438th most goals kicked

Over nearly six decades Arnold Byfield, commonly known as 'Bud', served the game of football in a variety of capacities, as a player, umpire, and long-standing administrator. After an outstanding junior sports career in football and cricket, he started his senior footy career in fine style, enjoyed premiership success at the age of 16 in Claremont's 1940 Grand Final victory over South Fremantle. 

Following war service, Byfield played one season (1946) with Melbourne in the VFL. Despite solid form over 18 games, culminating in the Grand Final loss to Essendon, he returned to the West and played a final season with Claremont. He also played 284 games for country football clubs and umpired a further 152 games. 

Byfield played six first class cricket matches for Western Australia between 1952 and 1954, and later served as president of the West Australian Country Football League from its inception in 1973 to 1991.

Author - Adam Cardosi


Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.