Full Name: BILLY SCHMIDT
Date of Birth: 29/12/1887
Height: 170 cm ( 5-7)
Weight: 70 kg ( 11-0 )
Guernsey: 18
Debut: 02/05/1908, Round 1, Melbourne
Last Game: 23/07/1921, Round 12, Fitzroy
RICHMOND SENIORS
Seasons: 1908-11, 1921
Total Games: 75
Total Goals: 71
Honours: Captain 1910, Victorian Representative Team Games 1.
BILLY SCHMIDT SENIOR COACHING RECORD
RICHMOND 1933 HOME & AWAY Games 18 Won 15 Drew 0 Lost 3
FINALS Games 3 Won 1 Drew 0 Lost 2
BIOGRAPHY
William was a centreman. Recruited from the local Richmond area, he quickly developed into one of the best centreman of his era. A consistently high possession winner, he had great pace, brilliant evasive skills and was a magnificent kick. William spent four seasons with Richmond captaining the side in 1910. He was a member of Richmond's first VFL side that played Melbourne in Round 1` of 1908, and finished the game with 4 goals.
During the course of his VFL career, he represented Victoria 12 times. He moved to St. Kilda in 1912 and during that season he was credit with running and bouncing the ball the full length of the ground, in a match against Geelong. He spent six seasons with St. Kilda and was a member of their 1913 Grand Final side. At times he tended to play his football as an individual rather than for the team. For this reason he became unpopular with some of his team mates and this led to him eventually leaving the Saints. He would often train in nearby Yarra Park where he would practice dodging around trees and jumping up to touch branches. Whilst at St Kilda he passed these training drills on to the legendary Roy Cazaly of "Up There Cazaly" fame. In 1921 he became the first former VFL player to coach professionally in the Wimmera League. He became a legend during his ten seasons at Warracknabeal as well as leading them to three Premierships. He was a very innovative coach and his presence and influence saw a great improvement in the general standard of football in the Wimmera League. He later returned to Melbourne and in his only season as a VFL coach he steering Richmond into the 1933 Grand Final, which they lost. William died in 1975.
PRE RICHMOND
Yarra Park School Junior Football ; Balmain Juniors 1906, Richmond VFA 1907.
POST RICHMOND
St Kilda Seniors 1912-14, 1918-20, Games 90, Goals 77 ( Honours - Victorian Representative Team Games 11
Warracknabeal 1921-27, 1930, Games 105 ( Honours - Premiership 1921, 1923, 1927, Coach 1921-27 ) ;
Donald Senior Coach ;
Minyip Senior Coach 1939-40.
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