Bill Bendle

A local product recruited from East Geelong, Bill Bendle was a diminutive rover and small forward who featured for the Pivotonians during the period immediately following World War I. Standing just 170cm and weighing 66kg, he relied on agility and opportunism rather than physical presence, breaking into the senior side to make his debut in the opening round of the 1918 season against St Kilda. While he was a regular contributor during his first two years, he fell out of the side completely in 1920 before earning a brief recall for a final handful of appearances in 1921. His departure from the top level marked a curious near-miss in Geelong history; his older brother, Alby Bendle, was recruited from the same local side and debuted for the club in 1922, the year immediately following Bill's exit, meaning the siblings never had the opportunity to play a senior VFL match together.