Bill Albress
Richmond
AFL career
8 games6 goals
- Debut
- R11 1917 v COL21 July 1917
- Most recent
- R5 1918 v GEE8 June 1918
Stats
Bio
Born in Tootgarook to a father from Cape Verde, Bill Albress was a rare player of African heritage in the VFL's formative years, joining the Tigers from local side Richmond Districts. He earned his stripes during the turbulent 1917 season, stepping up while the league’s player stocks were depleted by the Great War. On the field, Albress was a unique physical presence—described as a "hefty" forward who possessed surprising speed and agility for his size, often converting goals using the old-fashioned place kick. His senior opportunities dried up after the 1918 season, but he remained a quintessential figure of the suburb's social fabric, spending his life as a wharf labourer on the Melbourne docks.
Profile
- Born
- 13 Oct 1897
- Died
- 23 June 1961 (aged 63y 253d)
- Birthplace
- Tootgarook, VIC
- Deathplace
- Fitzroy, VIC
- Height
- 180 cm
- Weight
- 83 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionBorn in Tootgarook to a father from Cape Verde, Bill Albress was a rare player of African heritage in the VFL's formative years, joining the Tigers from local side Richmond Districts. He earned his stripes during the turbulent 1917 season, stepping up while the league’s player stocks were depleted by the Great War. On the field, Albress was a unique physical presence—described as a "hefty" forward who possessed surprising speed and agility for his size, often converting goals using the old-fashioned place kick. His senior opportunities dried up after the 1918 season, but he remained a quintessential figure of the suburb's social fabric, spending his life as a wharf labourer on the Melbourne docks.