William C. McClelland

William McClelland

Personal information
Full name	William Caldwell McClelland
Birth	9 February 1875
Place of birth	Buninyong, Victoria
Death	30 May 1957(1957-05-30) (aged 82)
Recruited from	Brighton Grammar School
Playing career
Club
Years	Team	Pld	G
1898–1904	Melbourne Football Club	75	3

William Caldwell McClelland CBE (9 February 1875 – 30 May 1957) was a medical doctor and an Australian rules football player and administrator. Born at Buninyong, on Victoria's goldfields, to an Irish-born father (David) and his Victorian-born wife (Mary), McClelland went to Brighton Grammar School and then to the University of Melbourne, where he was awarded a BA in 1899, MA in 1901 and MB, BS in 1905. He joined the Melbourne Football Club in 1898 and was an often brilliant centre half-back. He played in the club's surprise 1900 premiership triumph and was elected as captain the following year, a position he filled for four seasons. Retiring at the end of the 1904 season with 75 games to his credit, McClelland focussed his energies on his medical career and he was medical officer to the Brighton City Council for more than four decades.

In 1912, McClelland became president of the Melbourne Football Club, a position he only relinquished when elected to the presidency of the Victorian Football League in 1926, succeeding Professor Baldwin Spencer. He served in this capacity for two decades and from 1944 was also the president of the Melbourne Cricket Club, thus simultaneously holding the two highest profile sporting positions in Victoria for 12 years. He was granted a CBE for his services to both games in 1955. At the age of 81, he handed over the leadership of the VFL to Kenneth Luke, who was a more vocal opponent of the hold exerted by cricket clubs over the finances of VFL clubs. McClelland continued as president of the MCC until 1957, when he died. He did not marry.

McClelland was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996. His citation read:

Cool level-headed defender for Melbourne who was club president for 14 years before becoming VFL president from 1926 to 1955.

In 1950, the VFL instituted the McClelland Trophy, awarded to the club with the best overall home-and-away record across the three levels, seniors, reserves and under 19s, over the course of the season. Since the beginning of the Australian Football League era, with the abolition of the reserves and under 19s, the trophy is given to the team that finishes on top of the ladder after the home and way season (i.e. the minor premier).

References

• Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 141. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X. 
• AFL Hall of Fame
• Melbourne FC Honour Roll
• William C. McClelland's statistics from AFL Tables

Sporting positions
Preceded by Dick Wardill	Melbourne Football Club Captain 1901–1904	Succeeded by Frank Langley
Preceded by A. A. Aitken	President of the Melbourne Football Club 1912–1926	Succeeded by Vernon Ransford

Persondata
Name	Macclelland, William C.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	9 February 1875
Place of birth	Buninyong, Victoria
Date of death	30 May 1957
Place of death