BIO

Bill Shield interrupted a football career with North Adelaide to play one season with Norwood.  He made his Norwood debut in the historic first match played at Norwood Oval, on 4 May 1901, and enjoyed a 10.11 to 5.8 victory over competition newcomer Sturt.

He had a successful season, kicking four goals in 15 games.  He was high in the best players when Norwood defeated Port Adelaide by 10 points in a tight match at Adelaide Oval in July  but took no part when these teams met in the grand final, which Norwood won by four points to end a six-year premiership drought.

'Goalpost' misspelled Bill's surname but gave him an honourable mention in his end-of -season summary in The Register, saying: "Norwood were fortunate in possessing some deadly shots forward and some dashing men to help them.  Robinson developed into a brilliant player with a rare turn of speed, with fine marking abilities and a straight shooter.  Miller, of course, headed the goalkickers' list.  He was wonderfully accurate and was worth his place even apart from his kicking.  Kirkwood scored the second highest number of goals.  The ranks were helped by Halliday and McCann, and sometimes Smith, Shields (sic),or Gilchrist, all of whom did good work."

Bill, however, had more good work to do at North Adelaide, where he had begun at the age of 15.  He played there from 1895 to 1897 and again from 1904 to 1905, kicking three goals in 28 games.

Bill was born at Tea Tree Gully on 19 February 1880, the seventh of 10 children of John and Ann Shield, and died on 7 June 1968.

P Robins June 2018