William 'Bill' Strickland (17 August 1864 – 24 November 1959) was an 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 for Collingwood

Collingwood Football Club

The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

 in the inaugural 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...

 season.

Strickland was a centreman and started his career with Brunswick

Brunswick Football Club

Brunswick Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the VFA from 1897 until 1990. They were originally nicknamed the Pottery Workers before being renamed the Magpies and were based in Brunswick, Victoria. The club wore black and white guernseys...

 before joining VFA

Victorian Football League

The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...

side Carlton in 1885. After eight seasons he crossed to Collingwood and in 1897 became that club's first ever VFL captain, leading it to third place in what would be the last season of his career. He returned to the league in 1904 as coach and again briefly in 1908.