Billy Holmes
Fitzroy and Collingwood
AFL career
17 games11 goals
- Debut
- R4 1911 v ESS20 May 1911
- Most recent
- R18 1912 v ESS31 Aug 1912
Stats
Bio
Hailing from the goldfields of Bendigo, Holmes established himself as a rock-solid defender with California Gully before catching the eye of Collingwood recruiters in 1911. His time at Victoria Park was puzzlingly brief; despite earning praise in the press for a strong debut against Essendon, he was dropped immediately and never played for the Magpies again. After a short but impressive stint in the VFA with Northcote, he was thrown a lifeline by Fitzroy in 1912, where he reinvented himself as a powerful follower and forward. The Maroons utilised his strength and overhead marking ability to great effect in the ruck and inside 50, allowing him to play 16 games in a single season. While his VFL career was short, he proved his worth in the VFA, crossing to Footscray in 1913 where he became a key figure in their premiership campaign.
Profile
- Born
- 26 Jan 1890
- Died
- 11 Oct 1942 (aged 52y 258d)
- Birthplace
- Eaglehawk, VIC
- Deathplace
- Prahran, VIC
Teams
Bio
1 revisionHailing from the goldfields of Bendigo, Holmes established himself as a rock-solid defender with California Gully before catching the eye of Collingwood recruiters in 1911. His time at Victoria Park was puzzlingly brief; despite earning praise in the press for a strong debut against Essendon, he was dropped immediately and never played for the Magpies again. After a short but impressive stint in the VFA with Northcote, he was thrown a lifeline by Fitzroy in 1912, where he reinvented himself as a powerful follower and forward. The Maroons utilised his strength and overhead marking ability to great effect in the ruck and inside 50, allowing him to play 16 games in a single season. While his VFL career was short, he proved his worth in the VFA, crossing to Footscray in 1913 where he became a key figure in their premiership campaign.