Full name William Isaac Sewart Role Cricket Player | Date of birth 12 November 1881 Name Bill Sewart | |
Place of birth Allendale East, South Australia Date of death 13 December 1928(1928-12-13) (aged 47) Died December 13, 1928, Caulfield, Melbourne, Australia | ||
William Isaac "Bill" Sewart (12 November 1881 – 13 December 1928) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was also a first-class cricketer, representing both Queensland and Victoria.
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Family
The son of Myles and Mary Ann Sewart, nee Lock, he was born on 12 November 1881 at Allendale East, South Australia, and married Hannah Rosemann (1893–1931) in 1909.
Footballer
In his youth, he was considered to be one of the best all-round athletes his district had ever produced.
A centre-man, he was recruited by Essendon in 1905 from the Bendigo club Castlemaine.
He played in 161 senior home-and-away games and ten finals matches for Essendon, kicking seven goals. He played in Essendon's 1911 and 1912 premiership teams.
He represented Victoria three times: in an intrastate match against a combined Ballarat District team, at the MCG, on 23 June 1906, and, although not originally selected, in an intrastate match against a combined Ballarat District team, at the MCG, on 8 June 1907, and in an interstate match against South Australia, on 6 July 1912, at the MCG.
He was Essendon's vice-captain in 1914 and 1915.
Coach
When he returned to Australia, aged 38, he became coach of Footscray Football Club who were, at that time, still in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).
Initially playing as captain-coach, he coached Footscray to a premiership win against North Melbourne in the 1919 VFA season.
Cricketer
He played District cricket with the Carlton Cricket Club.
In Sewart's 13 first-class cricket matches he made 435 runs at 20.71. Two of those matches were for Queensland in the 1908/09 summer while the rest were with Victoria. He represented Victoria in the 1909/10 and 1913/14 Sheffield Shield seasons.
Only twice did he pass 50 in a match and both of those innings came against Tasmania at the MCG in January 1913. His scores of 143 and 69 not out was not enough however to prevent a Tasmanian victory. Victoria's team in that match included Patrick "Paddy" Shea, his Essendon teammate, as well as Fitzroy premiership player Chris Kiernan.
Whilst serving in the AIF, he played in an international match for an Australian military team, against an Indian team, at Lords, on Saturday, 11 August 1917.
Soldier
Enlisting on 18 January 1916, listing his occupation as draughtsman, employed by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, he served as a private in the 3rd Pioneer Battalon, First AIF.
Whilst in England, he played for the Third Australian Divisional Team in the "Pioneer Exhibition Game" of 1916.
Suffering from chronic bronchitis and "incipient tuberculosis" (on examining Seward, the army Medical Officer reported on 5 January 1918 that he "could not stand winter conditions in France"), he returned to Australia on 19 October 1917, and was discharged on medical grounds on 24 January 1918.
Death
He died at the Caulfield Military Hospital on 13 December 1928.
He is commemorated on the Roll of Honour of employees of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works who enlisted for active service in the First World War.