Full Name

Thomas Wentworth Wills

Born

August 19, 1835, Molonglo Plains, New South Wales

Died

May 02, 1880, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria, (aged 44y 257d)

Also Known As

Thomas Wentworth Spencer Wills

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Fast, Right arm Slow

Education

Rugby School

It can be argued with justification that Tom Wills was Australia's first great sportsman, credited with being the first cricketer of significance and a pioneer of what was to become Australian Rules Football.

Born in Australia - his grandfather had been deported for robbery - he grew up close to Aborigines and spoke their language, before being sent to Rugby School in England when he was 14, where he excelled at cricket and rugby. He returned home and emerged as a leading cricketer in Victoria.

Nine years earlier he had chaired a meeting of the Melbourne Football Club at which the first rules were set down, and he subsequently helped in the formation of several other clubs.

However, his life thereafter was a story of decline, as he slid into alcoholism. He was in and out of asylums until stabbing himself to death with a pair of scissors at the age of 44.
Martin Williamson

Tom Wills Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAve100s50sCtSt
FC325786025812.2801200

Bowling

FormatMatRunsWktsBBIAve5w10w
FC3212211307/449.39153

Umpire & Referee

FormatMatUmpire
FC11

Debut/Last Matches of Tom Wills

Recent Matches of Tom Wills

MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
Victoria vs NSW39* & 111/4009-Mar-1871SydneyFC
Victoria vs NSW7 & 17/4404-Mar-1869SydneyFC
Victoria vs Tasmania0*3/16 & 5/3112-Feb-1869MelbourneFC
G Parr's XI vs 40/11 & 4/3405-Mar-1864MelbourneFC
Victoria vs Tasmania2 & 156/25 & 6/1004-Mar-1858HobartFC

Photos of Tom Wills

An Aboriginal side captained by Tom Wills at the MCG in 1866