William Robert MILLER
STATISTICS
Guernsey Number:
Career: 1899 to 1910
NFC Games: 124
NFC Goals: 238
Debut: v West Torrens (Jubilee) 13th May 1899
Finale: v Sturt (Adelaide) 24th September 1910
Premierships: 1904, 1907
NFC Life Member
Best and Fairest: 1905
Leading Goalkicker: 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905
South Australian Games: 9
BIO
William Miller was rated as one of the best forwards of his era and was affectionately known throughout his playing career as Bill or Darky. His opportunity for Norwood came when goalkicking icon, Bos Daly, was forced to leave the Club and play for North due to the newly introduced electorate rule. Miller seized the opportunity with relish. Playing out of a forward pocket, he soon gained an outstanding reputation for his agility and freakish goal sense.
Reports from that time in The Register included:
"Miller from a left foot snap shot at a nasty angle put his team in front " (versus South, May 1902)
"Miller exhibited a high degree of skill and wisdom" (versus Port, June 1907)
Individual honours flowed his way. He was seven times Norwood’s leading goalkicker. (In 1901 and 1904 he was the SANFL leading goalkicker.)
In 1905 Bill won the club’s Best and Fairest Award. He gained State selection nine times and this included playing the inaugural game against Western Australia at the Jubilee Oval.
In 1904 and 1907, with his brother Harold in both teams, Bill became a dual Premiership player.
Bill Miller retired in 1910 after 110 games and 212 goals. A true Norwood champion.
B Ridge Jan 2015