Bill Anderson made life member of North Central league

From his first game aged 14 to still helping manage the club’s farm, Donald’s Bill Anderson has been bestowed a major honour.

Donald stalwart Bill Anderson’s contribution in multiple roles spanning more than seven decades has been recognised with life membership of the North Central Football League.

In the countdown to his 90th birthday on Wednesday, Anderson added league life membership to the same honour bestowed on him by the Royal Blues when he was only 28.

Anderson played his first match for Donald reserves, aged 14, in 1949 and made his senior debut the following season one day shy of his 15th birthday.

His first coach was 1948 and 1951 Feeny Medal winner Wally Shearer, who also had a short stint with Footscray in the early 1940s.

Another major influence was schoolteacher, Howard Jasper, who played for South Melbourne.

“I was never a Rhodes Scholar,” the former shearer said.

“But they took me under their wing early in my career.”

Former Donald player, president and secretary Bill Anderson has been made a life member of the North Central league. Picture: Buloke Times

Anderson played more than 200 senior matches for Donald before a two-year stint with Marnoo.

“I came back to Donald in 1966 as secretary and have been here ever since,” the former shearer said.

“The greatest enjoyment I’ve got from football is the people you meet along the way.”

Anderson’s present involvement includes helping out on Donald’s 243ha farm that it purchased in 1995, partly from proceeds the sale of a house that used to be used by club coaches.

One of his career highlights was playing in the 1955 Victorian Country Championships with the representative experience leading him to roles as a selector for the North Central and VCFL.

Bill Anderson, left, on the Donald Football Club farm in 2014 with Dean Griffiths, Colin Gilmour and Danny Forrest. Picture: Andy Rogers

He was a selector for the North Central’s greatest moment in interleague football, beating Hampden to become country champions in 1974.

“We went into that game as big underdogs,” he said.

“But we did a lot of homework on the opposition.

“Vince McNichol, who was the chairman of selectors, and I went away and watched a few of their players.

“We reported back to the coach Frank Tuck and told him there were two or three players in particularly who were pretty good and we need to have a plan for.

“It’s the greatest win I’ve been involved in.”

The North Central Football League 1974 country championships winning team against Hampden at Reid Oval, Warrnambool. Picture: Supplied

Anderson was also a selector for Victorian Country’s first match against the ACT in Canberra in 1980 with the team including Donald’s Murray Gilmour, Murtoa’s Michael Delahunty and Woomelang-Lascelles’ Michael Robertson.