Bill Wood is a former Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er who played with Footscray

Western Bulldogs

The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...

 in the VFL

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

.

Prior to joining Footscray he played with South Sydney where he was renowned for his goalkicking, managing 28 goals in a match against Sydney Naval in 1943. Footscray's Harry Hickey

Harry Hickey

Harry Hickey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Footscray Bulldogs in the VFL. He began his career as a rover and half forward flanker before he moved into the centre during the 1939 season. He would go on to win their best and fairest 3 times, including one in his final...

, with whom Wood has served in the military, recommenced him to the club and after impressing in the try outs he signed up for the 1944 season.

On debut against Collingwood he kicked 9 goals, at the time a league record, eventually finishing the year with 51. He missed the 1945 season due to war service but returned in 1946 and topped the club's goalkicking for three successive seasons. His best tally came in 1947 when he kicked 75 goals in just 16 games. He had previously been Footscray's leading goalkicker in his debut season and for the fifth time in 1950.

Footscray made the finals in 1951 but Wood spent the entire 1st Semi Final on the bench and didn't re-sign with the club the following season.