Welcome to “Blast from the Past”. Our aim is to cover off on past players, coaches and support staff of The Western Magpies from all over Australia and we trust that you find it interesting reading. This week we visit the career of nine time junior, five time senior Premiership player, best and fairest winner,coach,captain and Grogan Medallist William “Bill” Peirce. The Peirce family name is not only legendary in the western suburbs but is famous throughout Queensland Australian Rules Football with Bill’s father Bob being a highly respected player and administrator of the game and whose passion for the game left Bill no choice but to follow the path he has. Billy started his junior football at Sherwood Juniors in 1965 winning a massive nine Premierships as well as multiple club junior best and fairest whilst representing Queensland in under 15s, 16s and 17s. From there the natural progression into senior football followed and again Premiership success was to come in 78,79,80,81 and 82. Bill won the QAFL Grogan Medal in 1983 with his amazing ability to read the play along with high skill level and unquestionable work ethic Bill had firmly stamped his name as one of Queensland’s premier midfielders. This was just the start of what went onto be a remarkable football career as a player, coach, mentor and passionate supporter of football in the western suburbs. Today we revive the career of the clubs living legend Bill Peirce.
Name: William “Bill” Peirce
Details of Playing / Coaching Career: As per below
Awards / Medals Received /:
Playing
- 1965-1977 Sherwood junior player
- Premiership 1967, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 &76
- Best & Fairest 1969, 1972 & 1977. Best in finals 1974.
- Under 15, under 16 & under 17 state representative
- 1978-1982 Sherwood senior player SQAFA division
- Premierships 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 & 1982. QAFL pre-season premiers 1980
- Best & Fairest 1982. Most consistent 1981. SQAFA Representative player 1978-1982. 3rd Alf Duncanson medal 1982.
- 1983-1987 Sherwood senior player QAFL
- Finalists 1986. State champions 1984.
- Captain 1983-84
- Best & fairest 1987. Grogan Medallist 1983.
- QAFL State squad member 1983-84
- 1988-1990 Sherwood senior player Gold Coast league
- Captain 1988-1990
- Runner up best & fairest 1989
- Gold Coast All-stars representative player 1988-1989. Runners up state championship both years.
- 1991-1995 West Brisbane senior player. (Merged club between Sherwood and Western Districts. QAFL Seniors 1991-92. Reserves 1993-1995)
- Finalists reserve grade 1991-1994. Runners up 1994
- Bill Clerke medal (Reserve grade best and fairest) 1993
- 1999-2002 Western Magpies player reserve grade.
- Captain reserve grade 1999 (Latter half of year)
- Leading goal kicker Western Magpies reserves 1999
- Finalists 1999-2000
Coaching
- 1977-1986 Sherwood junior sides.
- 3 premierships. 1 runner up. Finalists most years
- 1987 Sherwood senior captain/coach (QAFL) second round of season. (John Blair resigned at end of first round along with several senior players)
- 1988 Sherwood senior captain/coach (Gold Coast League)
- 1994-95 West Brisbane reserve grade captain/coach. Runners up 1994
- 2002-03 Western Magpies reserve grade coach.
- 2004 Western Magpies senior assistant coach
2009-2011 Coached Woodsmen in 3rd division. Premiers 2009, runners up 2010, 3rd 2011
Favourite Playing Position: Centre, onball, forward
Most Respected Opponents (in QLD) Terry Simmonds, Steven Pyne, Zane Taylor, Peter Guy, Scott McIvor
Best Player played with at the club: Too many to pick one. Peter Filler, Steve Rippon and Peter Gittos were the 3 best recruited players. Dev Wollstein, Gary Shaw, Glen Catchpole and Steve Mitchell some of the best junior players. Allan Giffard, Steve Zillmann, Craig St.John, the Lashman and Stewart brothers, Grant Dalman to name some of the best locals but the list could go on for pages. I was lucky to play in a very successful era.
Biggest Character at the club: Bill Carey, Jeff Langdon, Des Lashman, Wayne Jackson, Tony Zillmann. Again too numerous to mention all.
AFL Club I Follow: Brisbane Lions
Current Occupation: Electrical Contractor
Are you still involved in footy? No, apart from watching the Lions and the Western Magpies.
Where do you see local QAFL heading in the future? Hopefully it can settle down in to a very good standard local competition that is affordable for most clubs to compete in.
Jumper number 1 has always been Bill’s number at the football club and is a number that suits the player as Bill is the clubs number 1. Bill was a gifted player who unlike most gifted players had a appetite for hard work on the track and was a noted professional footballer in an environment where dollars weren’t prevalent. His junior record is unprecedented in Queensland Football and he exceeded these feats at senior level as a premiership player, multiple league representative, captain and Grogan Medallist. Bill showed a flair for coaching during his senior playing days and would go on to be a successful senior coach willing to promote and educate youth whilst getting the best out of his senior troops. As a popular junior coach every junior player at the club in the 1980’s hoped that Bill would choose to coach their team that season as it meant you would get a ripper coach and success was on the horizon. In his times at Sherwood, West Brisbane and Western Magpies Football Clubs Bill was fortunate enough to play with some absolute legends of the club in Garry Shaw, Allan Giffard,Peter Filler and Grant Dalman to name a few as well as seen many characters like Des Lashman,Tony Zillman and Jeff Langdon. Bill has no formal role in footy these days but still has a keen eye for talent and is always open to a chat with any up and coming player or coach to pass on his knowledge of the game and the club. When Bill isn’t running his electrical business “Electricity Bill “or spending time with his daughters you can often see Bill watching The Brisbane Lions or Western Magpies, if you do happen to see Bill at these games go up to him shake his hand and tell him you enjoyed his blast from the past.
Last Modified on 10/07/2014 14:28