Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
William Berry

Known as
Bill Berry

Born
27 June 1957 (age 66)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 17y 359d
Last game: 28y 45d

Height and weight
Height: 196 cm
Weight: 92 kg

Senior clubs
Essendon; Footscray; North Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Essendon: 46, 35
Footscray: 52, 4
North Melbourne: 34

Recruited from
Essendon (1979); Footscray (1984)

Bill Berry

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
EssendonV/AFL1975-19771440.2936%3.711.431.430
FootscrayV/AFL1979-198243180.4219%6.954.603.675
North MelbourneV/AFL1984-19851200.0033%4.253.332.000
V/AFL1975-1977, 1979-1982, 1984-198569220.3225%5.833.742.935
Total1975-1977, 1979-1982, 1984-198569220.3225%5.833.742.935

AFL: 8,763rd player to appear, 3,436th most games played, 3,533rd most goals kickedEssendon: 828th player to appear, 629th most games played, 596th most goals kickedFootscray: 684th player to appear, 290th most games played, 291st most goals kickedNorth Melbourne: 752nd player to appear, 576th most games played, 1,006th most goals kicked

A solid if unspectacular ruckman, Bill Berry progressed through the ranks at Essendon only to falter once he reached the seniors. Between 1975 and 1977 he managed just 14 senior appearances, kicking four goals. He then spent the 1978 season adding 15 games and 15 goals with WANFL side East Fremantle. On returning to Victoria in 1979 he lined up with Footscray, performing in a back-up capacity to veteran ruckman Ian Hampshire. When Hampshire retired midway through the 1982 season Berry shouldered the burden of leading the rucks for the only time in his VFL career. However, when the Bulldogs recruited Andrew Purser the next year Berry found himself consigned to the reserves, and did not play another senior game for the club. He rounded off his career with 12 games (and no goals) for North Melbourne to add to the 43 games and 18 goals registered with the Bulldogs.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

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