William David Spurling (28 October 1907 – 13 April 1972) 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 oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL). In his early years Spurling grew up in the suburb of Williamstown, Victoria not far from St. Mary's Catholic Church. The family lived in a large house and his father, David, ran a successful tailoring company in Footscray, now known as Spurling Formalwear. At the age of 10 years he was enrolled at St. Joseph's Christian Brothers College, North Melbourne. One year later he played with that schools junior football team, losing only two games for the entire season. That same year Spurling was declared the schools Champion Under 14 Handball player. On leaving school he entered his father's business. As his abilities strengthened Spurling became a key position player on the football field who was used mostly as a centre half-forward. He kicked a career high 24 goals in 1931 and polled nine Brownlow votes.AFL Tables: Bill Spurling
/ref> In the same year he also represented the Victorian interstate team twice. In 1936 he joined Kyneton in the Bendigo Football League and played in their premiership. He won the league's

best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...

award, the Fred Wood Medal in his first season and in 1939, he was reappointed as their coach."SPURLING REAPPOINTED"
(1939, 18 March). ''The Argus'' (Melbourne), p. 16. Retrieved 17 December 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spurling, Bill 1907 births Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Western Bulldogs players Kyneton Football Club players 1972 deaths People from Williamstown, Victoria People educated at St Joseph's College, Melbourne