Carlton Reserve Career: 1952.
Reserve Games: TBA
Reserve Goals: TBA
Height: 183cm (6'0")
Weight: 85kg (13'5")
Guernsey No.: 40 (1952)
DOB: 25th November, 1931.
Albert William Parker, or as he was more commonly known as Bill Parker played reserve grade football for Carlton in 1952.
Bill Parker was an outstanding centre-half back in Northern Tasmania before he was courted and later recruited by Carlton to cross Bass Strait to play in the famous Navy Blue. Parker was a key position player who played for Latrobe in the North Western Football Union (NWFU), he won Latrobe's best and fairest award in 1950 and 1951 in his first two seasons of senior football. These two wins followed on from his win in 1949 when he won the Rovers Best and Fairest for Latrobe (thirds). Parker was a regular League representative player for the NWFU, such was his versatility that he played as a wingman in one his representative appearances.
In 1951 he tied for the NWFU competition's best and fairest award, the Dr. Wander Medal but was beaten on a countback, Parker was awarded the special Union award for being runner-up in the competition's best and fairest vote count. He could consider himself a bit unlucky as he missed 5 games during the season through injury. Parker would win Latrobe's best and fairest for the 1951 season.
Parker would play the single season with the Blues, he was allocated the number 40 guernsey for the regular home and away series but would wear number 3 during the 1952 reserves finals campaign. He had a late start to the season and then broke a toe in July that sidelined him for a month. His last game for Carlton was the 1952 Reserves Semi Final where he seriously hurt his knee playing against Collingwood. At season's end Parker would successfully seek and win a clearance to play with Castlemaine in the Bendigo Football League for the 1953 season. Parker lined up with Castlemaine the following season but lasted only two games due to the seriousness of his knee injury, sadly he would never play competitive football again.
Bill's son Kevin Parker played and coached footy in the local country leagues, whilst holding the role of club President at Dunolly he enticed two ex Carlton footballers Wayne Deledio and Ron Deledio to come back and play for their original club.
Bill Parker didn't manage to play a senior game for Carlton.
Below are articles from Tasmanian and Victorian newspapers