Bill Hutchison
Australian rules football player
- April 28, 1923 · Kensington
- June 18, 1982
- 59 years
About Bill Hutchison
Bill Hutchison, 59, Australian rules footballer
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Full Biography
|William Henry Hutchison (28 April 1923 – 18 June 1982), often referred to as "Hutchy", was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with the Essendon Football Club, who played 290 VFL games, from 1942 to 1957, and kicked 496 goals.
Generally considered one of the finest rovers ever to play the game, he captained Essendon from 1951 to 1957, and was a vital part of Essendon's premiership sides in 1942, 1946, 1949 and 1950.
Family
The son of Scottish parents, Henry Kearton Hutchison (1884–1962) and Agnes Caskie Hutchison (1889–1977), née Brown, William Henry Hutchison was born at Kensington on 28 April 1923. He married Helen Isabel "Nell" Giles (1923–2011) in 1947.
Football career
Hutchison played with Essendon from 1942 to 1957.
Debut
He made his First XVIII debut on 16 May 1942 as a wingman, against Footscray, in Round 2 of the 1942 season; originally listed as an emergency, he was a last-minute replacement for the unavailable Les Griggs.
Interstate (VFL)
Selected in every season from 1945 to 1954, inclusive, and again in 1956, Hutchison played 30 games for Victoria and kicked 67 goals. He was selected in the All-Australian team in both 1953 and 1956, the two years in which he also captained Victoria at the ANFC Carnivals in Adelaide and Perth, respectively. He was also selected on eight separate occasions in the Sporting Life Team of the Year: 1947, 1948, and 1950–1955.
Last match
His last match was against Melbourne in the 1957 VFL Grand Final. He was captain and first rover in the Essendon team that lost to Melbourne 7.13 (55) to 17.14 (116). He retired after the Grand Final, and he did not participate in the end-of-season night football competition that was held immediately after the final series.
Brownlow Medal
Once established as a rover, he consistently polled well in the Brownlow Medal vote count:
- Polling 8 votes in 1946 (winner, Don Cordner).
- Finishing ninth to Bert Deacon in 1947.
- Finishing third to Bill Morris in 1948.
- Finishing eighth to Ron Clegg, who won on a count-back from Col Austen, in 1949.
- Finishing sixth to Allan Ruthven in 1950.
- Finishing third to Bernie Smith in 1951.
- Finishing equal first with Roy Wright in 1952.
- Finishing first in 1953.
- Polling 10 votes in 1954 (winner, Roy Wright).
- Finishing second, by one vote, to Fred Goldsmith in 1955.
- Polling 9 votes in 1956 (winner, Peter Box).
- Polling 5 votes in 1957 (winner, Brian Gleeson).
Death
He died on 18 June 1982, after a short illness.
Legacy
Champions of Essendon
In 2002, at a "Champions of Essendon" gala event, Hutchison was voted the fourth-greatest Essendon player of all time. The man who was voted Champion, Dick Reynolds, famously said: "I don't deserve this honour... Bill Hutchison was the best player I've seen."
Australian Football Hall of Fame
In 2003, Hutchison was inducted as the 18th "Legend" in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
W. Hutchison Medal
The W. Hutchison Medal is awarded annually to the best and fairest player in the First Division of the Essendon District Football League.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hutchison
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Bill Hutchison's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was William Henry Hutchison born?
- A.28 April 1923correct
- B.18 June 1982
- C.28 April 1925
- D.16 May 1942
William Henry Hutchison was born at Kensington on 28 April 1923.
Source: Family section
2.Who were the parents of William Henry Hutchison?
- A.Bert and Agnes Deacon
- B.Roy and Helen Wright
- C.Les and Helen Griggs
- D.Henry Kearton and Agnes Caskie Hutchisoncorrect
William Henry Hutchison was the son of Henry Kearton Hutchison and Agnes Caskie Hutchison.
Source: Family section
3.In which city was William Henry Hutchison born?
- A.Melbourne
- B.Adelaide
- C.Kensingtoncorrect
- D.Perth
William Henry Hutchison was born at Kensington on 28 April 1923.
Source: Family section
4.When did William Henry Hutchison make his First XVIII debut for Essendon?
- A.16 May 1942correct
- B.12 September 1957
- C.18 June 1982
- D.28 April 1923
William Henry Hutchison made his First XVIII debut on 16 May 1942 against Footscray.
Source: Debut section
5.Against which team did William Henry Hutchison play his first VFL game?
- A.Melbourne
- B.Adelaide
- C.Essendon
- D.Footscraycorrect
William Henry Hutchison played his debut game as a wingman against Footscray.
Source: Debut section
6.What position did William Henry Hutchison play during his debut game?
- A.Wingmancorrect
- B.Full-forward
- C.Captain
- D.Rover
William Henry Hutchison made his First XVIII debut as a wingman.
Source: Debut section
7.How many games did William Henry Hutchison play for Victoria in his career?
- A.67
- B.30correct
- C.290
- D.496
William Henry Hutchison played 30 games for Victoria during his career.
Source: Interstate (VFL) section
8.In which years was William Henry Hutchison selected for the All-Australian team?
- A.1947 and 1948
- B.1942 and 1957
- C.1950 and 1955
- D.1953 and 1956correct
William Henry Hutchison was selected in the All-Australian team in both 1953 and 1956.
Source: Interstate (VFL) section
9.Who was the opponent in William Henry Hutchison's final VFL match?
- A.Melbournecorrect
- B.Adelaide
- C.Footscray
- D.Essendon
William Henry Hutchison's last match was against Melbourne in the 1957 VFL Grand Final.
Source: Last match section
10.In which year did William Henry Hutchison win the Brownlow Medal outright?
- A.1952
- B.1955
- C.1953correct
- D.1951
William Henry Hutchison finished first in the Brownlow Medal count in 1953.
Source: Brownlow Medal section
11.With whom did William Henry Hutchison share the Brownlow Medal in 1952?
- A.Bert Deacon
- B.Roy Wrightcorrect
- C.Peter Box
- D.Bill Morris
William Henry Hutchison finished equal first with Roy Wright in the 1952 Brownlow Medal count.
Source: Brownlow Medal section
12.On what date did William Henry Hutchison die?
- A.28 April 1923
- B.10 October 2003
- C.16 May 1942
- D.18 June 1982correct
William Henry Hutchison died on 18 June 1982.
Source: Death section
13.At the 2002 Champions of Essendon gala, what rank was William Henry Hutchison voted?
- A.First
- B.Third
- C.Fourthcorrect
- D.Second
William Henry Hutchison was voted the fourth-greatest Essendon player of all time in 2002.
Source: Champions of Essendon section
14.Who was the player voted the Champion of Essendon who praised William Henry Hutchison?
- A.Bert Deacon
- B.Dick Reynoldscorrect
- C.Brian Gleeson
- D.Roy Wright
Dick Reynolds was the man voted Champion, and he stated that Bill Hutchison was the best player he had seen.
Source: Champions of Essendon section
15.In what year was William Henry Hutchison inducted as a Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame?
- A.2003correct
- B.2010
- C.2002
- D.1996
In 2003, William Henry Hutchison was inducted as the 18th Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Source: Australian Football Hall of Fame section
16.Which award is named after William Henry Hutchison for the Essendon District Football League?
- A.The Champion of Essendon Medal
- B.The W. Hutchison Medalcorrect
- C.The Hutchy Trophy
- D.The Essendon Best Player Award
The W. Hutchison Medal is awarded annually to the best and fairest player in the First Division of the Essendon District Football League.
Source: W. Hutchison Medal section
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