Bill Strang (footballer)

Bill Strang
Bill Strang
	Strang in 1905
Personal information
Full name	William James Strang
Date of birth	7 October 1883
Place of birth	Albury, New South Wales
Date of death	9 May 1937 (aged 53)
Place of death	Albury, New South Wales
Original team(s)	Albury
Playing career1
Years	Club
1904–1907, 1913	South Melbourne
	1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1913.
	Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

William James Strang (7 October 1883 – 9 May 1937)^[2] was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Family

He married Frances Eleanor Collins in 1905.

Four sons played senior football in the VFL; Allan and Colin as well as Richmond premiership stars of the 1930s Doug and Gordon. Two grandsons were members of the Tigers' premiership team in 1967, Geoff Strang (son of Doug) and John Perry (son of his daughter Edna "Bob" Perry, née Strang), with Geoff backing up again in 1969.^[3]

Strang was also a Justice of the Peace (J.P.) in Albury.^[4]

Football

Strang was a strong aerialist from Albury, used as both a follower and forward. He kicked three of South Melbourne's six goals, from centre half-forward, in their 1907 VFL Grand Final loss to Carlton.^[5]

Strang spent the next period of his career in New South Wales. After returning to Albury to start a business, he played for the Albury Football Club.^[6]

Strang returned to South Melbourne in 1913 and was the club's leading goal-kicker with 29 goals.^[5]

Military service

He served overseas with the First AIF in the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance.

Death

He died (suddenly) at Albury on 9 May 1937.^[7] ^[8]

Footnotes

^ "A Three Points Win". The Argus. Melbourne, Vic. 11 July 1904. p. 9. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
^ "Bill Strang - Player Bio". Australian Football.
^ Hogan (1996), pp.221-222.
^ "1926 - Albury and Border Association". Weekly Times. 9 October 1930. p. 67. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b AFL Tables.
^ Holmesby & Main (2007).
^ Soldier and Footballer, The Age, (Monday, 10 May 1937), p.12.
^ "1937 - League Footballer's Death". Wagga Wagga Express (NSW). 15 May 1937. p. 16. Retrieved 4 February 2022.