Australian Football

Despite standing only 173cm in height Bill Berryman played during the initial Tasmanian phase of his career as a key position defender. He debuted with NWFU side Yeoman in the early 1920s before crossing to Devonport in 1924. His form with the Magpies was consistently superb, and after representing the NWFU in his first season he won both the Cheel Medal as competition best and fairest and the Devonport club champion award the following year. His outstanding form inevitably attracted the attention of VFL clubs, and the 1926 season saw him at South Melbourne for whom he played 47 games in three seasons. Highly regarded in Melbourne because of his robust, energetic approach to the game he played carnival football for Victoria in 1927, the same year which saw him finish runner-up in South's best and fairest count.

After spending the 1929 season captain-coaching Victorian country club Rochester Bill Berryman returned home to Devonport as captain-coach and promptly won a second club best and fairest . Then, somewhat surprisingly, he devoted the 1931 season to umpiring before resuming with the Magpies in 1932. When he retired as a player in 1935 his total of 111 NWFU games included three grand final triumphs. Undoubtedly one of the finest north-west coastal footballers of the inter-war years Berryman was a shoe-in for inclusion in AFL Tasmania's official Hall of Fame.

Author - John Devaney