Bill McMaster

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Not to be confused with Bill McMaster (footballer, born 1922).

Bill McMaster
Personal information
Full name Cyril McMaster
Date of birth (1930-01-30) 30 January 1930 (age 94)
Original team(s) Lake Bolac
Height 192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 82 kg (181 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1951–1954 Geelong 61 (75)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1971–1972 Geelong 44 (12–32–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1954.
Career highlights
  • Geelong premiership player 1951, 1952
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Cyril "Bill" McMaster OAM (born 30 January 1930) is a former Australian rules footballer and a coach in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

He was awarded The Medal of the Order of Australia in 2024 for his services to Australian Rules Football South Western Region.[1][2]

Early life[edit]

Bill McMaster attended school at St. Joseph's College in Geelong where he was a prominent member of the college first 18 football team.[3][4] He returned home to Lake Bolac in 1947 at sixteen years of age and began playing for his home club, The Lake Bolac Football Club. That year they finished runner's up in the Mininera and District League Grand Final to Westmere Rovers, and in the following three years went on to win back-to-back-to-back Premierships in 1948, 1949 and 1950.[5] Bill was awarded Best and Fairest for Lake Bolac in 1949.[6]

In 1950 McMaster also played in the Wimmera Football League for Ararat Football Club, on permit from Lake Bolac, under former Fitzroy coach Clen Denning.[7] Both teams progressed to their respective League Grand Finals.[8][9]

Due to his standout season, in which 20 year old McMaster won Fairest and Best in the Ararat region,[10] he gained the attention of VFL team, Geelong Football Club, who offered him a position at the club for the next year which he accepted. He was invited to train with Geelong for the remainder of the 1950 season but decided to see out the year at Ararat.[11]

VFL career[edit]

1951[edit]

At Geelong, McMaster was given the number seven guernsey, previously worn by Lindsay White, and in his first game for the club McMaser kicked five goals and gave an "encouraging display of pace to the ball".[12] Throughout that year he played in the ruck and was one of Geelong's best players.[13] Geelong progressed to the Grand Final and McMaster was fortunate enough to play in a VFL League Grand Final in his first year. Geelong beat Essendon by eleven points at the MCG, handing the club their first Premiership since 1937. Geelong 11.15 (81) Essendon 10:10 (70). That evening the team arrived back in Geelong at City Hall and were honoured in front of 10,000 to 12,000 fans.[14]

1952[edit]

1952 was another successful year for Geelong with the win of a second successive Premiership.[15] McMaster won the club's Most Improved Player for the season.[16] It was during this period that Geelong appeared unbeatable when they played in 26 games without loss. This spanned from the ninth game of 1952 to the thirteenth game of 1953. A record that still stands.[17]

1953[edit]

The 1953 season opened with the unfurling of the 1952 premiership pennant at Kardinia Park.[18] Football fever gripped the city as Geelong set their eyes on another premiership. They met Collingwood in the Grand Final and McMaster was playing well before an injury in the third quarter. He left the ground with a bruised kidney and concussion and was taken to St Vincent's hospital then later transferred to the Geelong Hospital.[19] This effectively ended McMaster's VFL career because, although he attempted to resume in1954, his injury proved too incapacitating and after just 61 games in four seasons, he retired.[20]

Country Football career[edit]

McMaster became one of many footballers to return to Victorian Country Football after a VFL/AFL career. He returned home to Lake Bolac where he Captain/Coached his local side to two consecutive Premierships in 1955 and 1956.[21] Shortly after, Mortlake Football Club poached him with the position of Player/Coach which he held from 1957 to 1963.[22]

Post playing career[edit]

McMaster returned to Geelong Football Club as non-playing coach in 1971–2 with 12 wins and 32 losses.[23][24] He was appointed Recruiting Officer in 1973 which was the first such paid position held at any VFL club. He remained in this role until his retirement in 1994.[25][26]

He is a Life Member of the Geelong Football Club,[27] member of the G.F.C. Past Players Association, recipient of the G.F.C. R.J. Hickey Award in 1993, AFL Jack Titus Service Award in1994 and Australian Sports Medal in 2000.[28]

Thereafter he took on voluntary roles at the G.F.C. with positions of the History and Tradition Committee President, Member and Tour Guide 1994-2006 and member of the Honouring the Past Committee and Memorabilia Working Group, 1994–2015.[29]

  1. ^ "Australian Honours Search Facility". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Geelong Cats Congratulate Diana Taylor and Cyril 'Bill' McMaster". geelongcats.com.au. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Play With Geelong Next Season". Horsham Times. 12 May 1950. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Four skippers, eight All-Australians, one Brownlow ... one school". afl.com.au. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Facebook". Retrieved 25 March 2024 – via Facebook.
  6. ^ "Seniors - Wickliffe Lake Bolac Football Club". GameDay. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  7. ^ "McMASTER WILL SUIT GEELONG". Sporting Globe. 25 April 1951. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Seniors - Wimmera Football Netball League". GameDay. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Many Off To See". Horsham Times. 28 September 1951. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  10. ^ "KICKING ASTRAY AT GEELONG". Sporting Globe. 31 March 1951. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Play With Geelong Next Season". Horsham Times. 12 May 1950. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ^ "McMASTER WILL SUIT GEELONG". Sporting Globe. 25 April 1951. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  13. ^ "A hand pass by Cyril..." Argus. 21 September 1951. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  14. ^ Geelong Advertiser (2 September 2014). "1951 Geelong Cats premiership: Team honoured at City Hall". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  15. ^ "1952 Geelong Cats premiership: Huge crowd greets victorious team at City Hall". Geelong Advertiser. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ^ "WAS GEELONG'S MOST IMPROVED". Horsham Times. 30 September 1952. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Geelong - News, Fixtures, Scores & Results". geelongcats.com.au. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. ^ "AN ARGUS SOUVENIR OF GEELONG IT'S ON AGAIN: HAT-TRICK?". Argus. 2 March 1953. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Bill McMaster in Hospital After Game". The Age. 28 September 1953. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Australian Football - Bill McMaster - Player Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Seniors - Wickliffe Lake Bolac Football Club". GameDay. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Australian Honours Search Facility". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  23. ^ "AFL Tables - Bill McMaster - Coaching Record". afltables.com. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Australian Football - M". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  25. ^ Now, Podcast (15 July 2021). "The Greatest Team of All Pt 2. - Podcast Now City of Dreams". Podcast Now. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  26. ^ Hanlon, Peter (25 November 2009). "McMaster of his trade". The Age. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Geelong Cats Congratulate Diana Taylor and Cyril 'Bill' McMaster". geelongcats.com.au. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Australian Honours Search Facility". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Australian Honours Search Facility". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 27 March 2024.

External links[edit]

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