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{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Short description|Australian rules footballer and coach (1928–2020)}}
⚫
{{for|the politician|Bill Stephen (politician)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
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{{for|the politician|Bill Stephen (politician)}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Bill Stephen
| name = Bill Stephen
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| fullname = William Stephen
| fullname = William Stephen
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|4|1|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|4|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], Australia
| birth_place = [[Fitzroy, Victoria|Fitzroy]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|8|24|1928|4|1|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|8|23|1928|4|1|df=y}}
| death_place =
| death_place =
| originalteam = Thornbury CYMS
| originalteam = Thornbury CYMS
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| coachgames_winstotal = 256 (83–171–2)
| coachgames_winstotal = 256 (83–171–2)
| careerhighlights = *[[List of Fitzroy Football Club captains|Fitzroy captain]]: 1955–1957
| careerhighlights = *[[List of Fitzroy Football Club captains|Fitzroy captain]]: 1955–1957
*[[Mitchell Medal|Fitzroy Club Champion]]: 1950
*[[Mitchell Medal|Fitzroy Club Champion]]: 1950, 1954
*[[All-Australian team|''Sporting Life'' team of the year]]: 1952
*[[All-Australian team|''Sporting Life'' team of the year]]: 1952
}}
}}


'''William Stephen''' (1 April 1928 – 24 August 2020) was an [[Australian rules football]]er with [[Fitzroy Football Club]]. He also coached Fitzroy and [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]].
'''William Stephen''' (1 April 1928 – 23 August 2020) was an [[Australian rules football]]er with [[Fitzroy Football Club]]. He also coached Fitzroy and [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]]. Stephen is second all time for most VFL/AFL games coached without a grand final appearance, with [[Port Adelaide Football Club]]'s coach [[Ken Hinkley]] surpassing him in 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/coaches/coaches_idx.html | title=AFL Tables - Coaches }}</ref>


== Fitzroy career ==
== Playing career ==
===Fitzroy Football Club===
Recruited from [[Thornbury CYMS]] and making his debut with the [[Fitzroy Football Club]] in the VFL in 1947, Stephen was one of the best defenders in the league.<ref>{{Ref AFL Encyc|4th|617}}</ref> He won the [[Fitzroy Football Club]] best and fairest in 1950 and 1954 and played for Victoria 14 times.<ref>[http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/sn-sz.htm#Bill%20Stephen%20(Fitzroy%20&%20Essendon) Full Points Footy biography] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210121606/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/sn-sz.htm#Bill%20Stephen%20(Fitzroy%20&%20Essendon) |date=10 February 2012 }}</ref> He went on to play 162 games and kicked 4 goals for the club, playing prominently from the [[back pocket]] position.
Recruited from [[Thornbury CYMS]] and making his debut with the [[Fitzroy Football Club]] in the VFL in 1947, Stephen was one of the best defenders in the league.<ref>{{Ref AFL Encyc|4th|617}}</ref> He won the [[Fitzroy Football Club]] best and fairest in 1950 and 1954 and played for Victoria 14 times.<ref>[http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/sn-sz.htm#Bill%20Stephen%20(Fitzroy%20&%20Essendon) Full Points Footy biography] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210121606/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/sn-sz.htm#Bill%20Stephen%20(Fitzroy%20&%20Essendon) |date=10 February 2012 }}</ref> He went on to play 162 games and kicked 4 goals for the club, playing prominently from the [[back pocket]] position.


== Coaching career ==
== Coaching career ==

Bill Stephen coached Fitzroy on three separate occasions from 1955 to 1957, 1965 to 1970 and 1979 to 1980.
===Fitzroy Football Club===
Stephen also coached Essendon, from 1976 to 1977, with a 16 win, 27 losses and 1 draw record. His overall coaching record stands at 258 matches, 84 wins, 172 losses and 2 draws. He was sacked from Fitzroy in 1970 as he was recovering in hospital from pneumonia and also from Essendon in 1977. He resigned from his final VFL coaching appointment part way through the 1980 season, after coaching the Lions into the finals in 1979 for the first time since 1960.<ref>Slattery, Geoff & Comerford, Damien (9 July 1980) [https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=7bUQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v5IDAAAAIBAJ&dq=bill-stephen%20fitzroy&pg=2863%2C3802382 Stephen to quit as Lions coach]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; The Age</ref> He was also an assistant coach for South Melbourne and North Melbourne in between his stints at Fitzroy, Essendon and StKilda.<ref>Stone, Peter (25 June 1976) [https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=TpspAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RJIDAAAAIBAJ&dq=bill-stephen%20fitzroy&pg=6780%2C5827400 Stephen, the (not so) quiet nomad]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Bill Stephen coached [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]] as senior coach on three separate occasions from 1955 to 1957, 1965 to 1970 and 1979 to 1980.<ref name=BSFTT/> His overall VFL coaching record stands at 258 matches, 84 wins, 172 losses and 2 draws. He was sacked from Fitzroy in 1970 as he was recovering in hospital from pneumonia, and resigned from his final VFL coaching appointment at the end of the 1980 season, after coaching the Lions into the finals in 1979 for the first time since 1960.<ref>Slattery, Geoff & Comerford, Damien (9 July 1980) [https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=7bUQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v5IDAAAAIBAJ&dq=bill-stephen%20fitzroy&pg=2863%2C3802382 Stephen to quit as Lions coach]; The Age</ref> Stephen was replaced by [[Robert Walls]] as Fitzroy Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1980 season.<ref name=BSFTT>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/bill-stephen-was-fitzroy-through-and-through-20200825-p55p5c.html|title=Bill Stephen was Fitzroy through and through|date=25 August 2020|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref>

===Yarrawonga Football Club===
Stephen was captain / coach of [[Yarrawonga Football Club|Yarrawonga]] in the [[Ovens & Murray Football League]] from 1958 to 1963, then was their non playing coach in 1964. Stephen led Yarrawonga to their first O&MFL premiership against [[Bob Rose (footballer)|Bob Rose]]'s [[Wangaratta Rovers Football Club|Wangaratta Rovers]] in 1959.

Stephen was also the non playing coach of the [[Ovens & Murray Football League]] inter-league side in 1964.

===Essendon Football Club===
Stephen also coached [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]] as senior coach from 1976 to 1977, with a 16 win, 27 losses and 1 draw record. Stephen was sacked as Essendon Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1977 season.<ref name=BSFTT/> Stephen was then replaced by [[Barry Davis (footballer)|Barry Davis]] as Essendon Football Club senior coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/325007/back-in-red-and-black|title=Back in Red and Black|date=20 July 2016|access-date=12 March 2022}}</ref>

===Other coaching roles===
He was also an assistant coach for [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] and [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] in between his stints at Fitzroy, Essendon, and [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]].<ref>Stone, Peter (25 June 1976) [https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=TpspAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RJIDAAAAIBAJ&dq=bill-stephen%20fitzroy&pg=6780%2C5827400 Stephen, the (not so) quiet nomad]</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{AFL Tables|B/Bill_Stephen}}
*{{AFL Tables|B/Bill_Stephen}}
*{{AustralianFootball}}
*[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/coaches/Bill_Stephen.html Coaching statistics]
*[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/coaches/Bill_Stephen.html Coaching statistics]


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[[Category:Fitzroy Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Fitzroy Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Mitchell Medal winners]]
[[Category:Mitchell Medal winners]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]


{{AFL-bio-1920s-stub}}

Latest revision as of 03:42, 19 August 2024

For the politician, see Bill Stephen (politician).

Bill Stephen
Personal information
Full name William Stephen
Date of birth (1928-04-01)1 April 1928
Place of birth Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
Date of death 23 August 2020(2020-08-23) (aged 92)
Original team(s) Thornbury CYMS
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1947–1957 Fitzroy 162 (4)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1955–57, 1965–70, 1979–80 Fitzroy 212 (67–144–1)
1976–1977 Essendon 044 0(16–27–1)
Total 256 (83–171–2)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1980.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

William Stephen (1 April 1928 – 23 August 2020) was an Australian rules footballer with Fitzroy Football Club. He also coached Fitzroy and Essendon. Stephen is second all time for most VFL/AFL games coached without a grand final appearance, with Port Adelaide Football Club's coach Ken Hinkley surpassing him in 2024.[1]

Playing career

[edit]

Fitzroy Football Club

[edit]

Recruited from Thornbury CYMS and making his debut with the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFL in 1947, Stephen was one of the best defenders in the league.[2] He won the Fitzroy Football Club best and fairest in 1950 and 1954 and played for Victoria 14 times.[3] He went on to play 162 games and kicked 4 goals for the club, playing prominently from the back pocket position.

Coaching career

[edit]

Fitzroy Football Club

[edit]

Bill Stephen coached Fitzroy as senior coach on three separate occasions from 1955 to 1957, 1965 to 1970 and 1979 to 1980.[4] His overall VFL coaching record stands at 258 matches, 84 wins, 172 losses and 2 draws. He was sacked from Fitzroy in 1970 as he was recovering in hospital from pneumonia, and resigned from his final VFL coaching appointment at the end of the 1980 season, after coaching the Lions into the finals in 1979 for the first time since 1960.[5] Stephen was replaced by Robert Walls as Fitzroy Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1980 season.[4]

Yarrawonga Football Club

[edit]

Stephen was captain / coach of Yarrawonga in the Ovens & Murray Football League from 1958 to 1963, then was their non playing coach in 1964. Stephen led Yarrawonga to their first O&MFL premiership against Bob Rose's Wangaratta Rovers in 1959.

Stephen was also the non playing coach of the Ovens & Murray Football League inter-league side in 1964.

Essendon Football Club

[edit]

Stephen also coached Essendon as senior coach from 1976 to 1977, with a 16 win, 27 losses and 1 draw record. Stephen was sacked as Essendon Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1977 season.[4] Stephen was then replaced by Barry Davis as Essendon Football Club senior coach.[6]

Other coaching roles

[edit]

He was also an assistant coach for South Melbourne and North Melbourne in between his stints at Fitzroy, Essendon, and St Kilda.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "AFL Tables - Coaches".
  2. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 617. ISBN 1-74095-001-1.
  3. ^ Full Points Footy biography Archived 10 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c "Bill Stephen was Fitzroy through and through". 25 August 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  5. ^ Slattery, Geoff & Comerford, Damien (9 July 1980) Stephen to quit as Lions coach; The Age
  6. ^ "Back in Red and Black". 20 July 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  7. ^ Stone, Peter (25 June 1976) Stephen, the (not so) quiet nomad
[edit]
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