Bill James

Bill James commenced his senior football career with his hometown club Moe in 1960. The highly talented teenager played his first senior game as a sixteen year old and the following season the young ruckman was crowned as Moe A grades best and fairest player. This achievement immediately attracted the attention of VFL talent scouts and in 1962 he moved to the city to play for the Melbourne Football Club.

Despite playing 34 seconds matches and a handful of thirds games, Bill was cut from the senior list in mid 1963 without playing a senior game. Bill played out the rest of the 1963 season with the Melbourne seconds. He returned home and played for Moe in 1964 where he won his second club best and fairest in 1965. Years later Bill would be named as a ruck rover in Moe’s ‘Team of the Sixties’.

In 1966, twenty one year old Bill was appointed as captain-coach of West Gambier. His appointment came on the back of West Gambier claiming consecutive wooden spoons in 1964 and 1965. Bill coached West Gambier from 1966 to 1970 and although the club collected another wooden spoon in 1966, there were signs of improvement. West Gambier made the finals for the first time under Bill in 1970 but this would be his final year in charge.

Bill opted to play on in 1971 and was appointed captain under the new coach, former Port Adelaide star Peter Marrett. Bill played 144 games for West Gambier where he won two best and fairest awards and represented Western Border in interleague games on multiple occasions. Barry Ward was a teammate of Bill’s at West Gambier and the two struck up a friendship that would last a lifetime. Barry was supposed to change with Bill as a ruck rover but because of Bill’s great stamina, there was no need for a change as he could stay on the ball all day. Bill was a tough rugged player who read the play exceptionally well. He was the quintessential ball magnet and when in possession evaded and broke tackles with ease. Bill’s only blemish in an outstanding all round game was in Barry’s words ‘Bill had an awful bloody kick’.

In 1973, a new challenge beckoned with Bill being appointed coach of Tantanoola from the neighbouring Mid South East league. When Bill accepted the job with the Tigers, they had not won a premiership for twenty five years but as Bill had noted he had come to a club that boasted plenty of talent. Bill set about working with that talent and began to mould the club into a formidable unit. Tantanoola began the season confidently with an eight goal win over Glencoe but then suffered a narrow loss to Mount Burr. Much was said about that loss and the team galvanised themselves and adhered to Bill’s coaching ideals, they did not drop another game for the rest of the minor round. The season culminated with an emphatic fifty one point grand final victory over Tarpeena. Bill topped off a fine season personally by taking out Tantanoola’s best and fairest award and finishing runner up in the Mail Medal.

Tantanoola finished second at the end of the minor round in 1975 but were way down on form leading into the finals series, going out in straight sets. However, the work rate was lifted for 1976 and although again finishing second at the end of the minor round, Tantanoola proved too strong for Mount Burr in the grand final.

In 1977, Bill handed the Tantanoola coaching duties over to Max Pascoe but retained the captaincy. Bill had also captain coached the MSEFL interleague team against Kowree Naracoorte for the past three seasons. He led the MSEFL to their first ever victory over Kowree Naracoorte in 1976 to win the Wortley Shield with Bill winning the South Adelaide Football Club sponsored best player award.

Bill returned to play for West Gambier in 1977 and also coached the B grade in 1977 and 1978. He played out his career with West Gambier before retiring at the end of the 1980 season. His playing career had realised 420 games over a twenty one year period where he had only missed four games in total. Bill continued working off field for West Gambier with a ten year stint as club president and received a well earned life membership.

Sadly, Bill passed away in October 2016 while this profile was being written.