Hero of the Central Bulldogs
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:52 pmLike anyone here I loved going to the SANFL footy in the 1970's and 1980's as a kid, I remember many absolute legends of the game who were in my opinion better footballers than many on various AFL club lists today. I went once to see Port play the Crows in a Showdown where the Crows wore their adaption of the state gurnsey, and the point that I came home with out of the game was not once did a player from either side nail a goal from outside of 50 meters. When I grew up watching Rick Davies and Wilbur Wilson take those shots it was somewhat of a different story.
Wilbur Wilson would come pretty close to being the player that I admired the most, even though he didnt play for my team. He used to be the one that kept the Central players going for the four quarters and I would say he was one of the hardest and toughest players of the era. He was an awesome goal kicker and thought nothing of crashing a pack or putting himself on the line to take the hard ball gets when they were there.
Wilbur Wilson, an absolute legend, thanks for the memories!
- Talented though he was, Wilbur Wilson was by no means a champion footballer. Nevertheless, it is doubtful if the SANFL has ever given footy fans a more popular folk hero. Tubby to the point of rotundity, Wilson's mere presence on a football field was a kind of statement; it said, quite simply, "I'm like you" - which, presumably, went a long way towards explaining his popularity.
A left footer, whose right leg was, as the cliché has it, 'for standing on', Wilbur Wilson was a half forward flank specialist who gave the Central District Football Club exemplary service in 171 games between 1974 and 1986. He also booted a highly commendable 331 goals, which included 45 in 1983 and 67 the following year to top Centrals' list. Much more to the point, however, only Tony Modra in recent years has come close to matching the levels of hero worship and adulation enjoyed by the man who could lay strong claim to having been Central District's favourite son.
http://snipurl.com/18jlm
Wilbur Wilson would come pretty close to being the player that I admired the most, even though he didnt play for my team. He used to be the one that kept the Central players going for the four quarters and I would say he was one of the hardest and toughest players of the era. He was an awesome goal kicker and thought nothing of crashing a pack or putting himself on the line to take the hard ball gets when they were there.
Wilbur Wilson, an absolute legend, thanks for the memories!
- Talented though he was, Wilbur Wilson was by no means a champion footballer. Nevertheless, it is doubtful if the SANFL has ever given footy fans a more popular folk hero. Tubby to the point of rotundity, Wilson's mere presence on a football field was a kind of statement; it said, quite simply, "I'm like you" - which, presumably, went a long way towards explaining his popularity.
A left footer, whose right leg was, as the cliché has it, 'for standing on', Wilbur Wilson was a half forward flank specialist who gave the Central District Football Club exemplary service in 171 games between 1974 and 1986. He also booted a highly commendable 331 goals, which included 45 in 1983 and 67 the following year to top Centrals' list. Much more to the point, however, only Tony Modra in recent years has come close to matching the levels of hero worship and adulation enjoyed by the man who could lay strong claim to having been Central District's favourite son.
http://snipurl.com/18jlm
