Bill Downie
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William Downie (4 December 1908 – 11 September 1943) was an
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
er who played with Footscray and St Kilda in the
Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...
(VFL). Downie played as a ruckman and represented Footscray 54 times before finishing off his VFL career with a year at St Kilda. He was then picked up by Northcote in the
Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...
(VFA) and was a member of their 1937 premiership side. He served his country in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and was killed by a Japanese guard in a Prisoner of War camp.


See also

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List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service Since the inception of the Australian Football League#VFL era (1897–1989), Victorian Football League in 1897, many of its players have served in the armed services, including Second Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, World War I, World War II, t ...


References

* Main, J. & Allen, D., "Downie, Bill", pp. 236–237 in Main, J. & Allen, D., ''Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War'', Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.


External links

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Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: William Downie (VX38839)
1908 births 1943 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Western Bulldogs players St Kilda Football Club players Northcote Football Club players Eaglehawk Football Club players Australian Army personnel of World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Japan Australian military personnel killed in World War II Australian prisoners of war Burma Railway prisoners Military personnel from Victoria (state) 20th-century Australian sportsmen {{AFL-bio-1908-stub