Date of birth 9 August 1888 Name Billy Orchard Years Club | Height/Weight 180 cm, 76 kg Place of death Geelong, Victoria | |
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Date of death 22 July 1965(1965-07-22) (aged 76) Debut Round 16, 1906, Geelong
v. Carlton, at Corio Oval Died July 22, 1965, Geelong, Australia | ||
Original team Geelong Grammar School | ||
Billy Orchard (9 August 1888 – 22 July 1965) was an Australian rules football player for the Geelong Football Club between 1906 and 1915. He captained the club for two seasons in 1914 and 1915. He was also playing coach in 1914. In October 1916 he played in an Australian Rules exhibition match at the Queen's Club ground in London for the 3rd Division A.I.F team which defeated the Training Unit Team. He was a field umpire in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1920s.
In 1918 at Ypres he was awarded the Military Cross for "the efficient manner in which he (Captain Orchard) carried out his task of reorganisation and his cheerfulness under depressing circumstances that earned for him the Military Cross."
Orchard was also an outstanding cricketer taking 264 wickets at 12.6 between 1903–1936 in the Geelong Cricket Association.