Stephen Wallis
Encyclopedia
Stephen "Wally" Wallis (born 27 October 1964) is a former Australian rules football
er in the Australian Football League
(formerly the VFL).
Originally from Leongatha, Victoria
, Wallis arrived at the Footscray Football Club
in 1982 and suffered an injury in a reserves game which kept him out for the rest of the season. He made his senior VFL debut in 1983 and became a solid defender and occasional midfielder.
In 1989, Wallis was appointed captain of the Bulldogs, and became a representative of Victoria in State of Origin. Midway through 1991 he suffered a broken wrist, forcing him to miss the rest of the season, but returned in 1992 to help the Bulldogs to the finals. However, injury struck again early in the following year when he badly injured his knee.
In 1996, Wallis announced his retirement and played his last game with in a three-point loss to Essendon (which was documented in the film Year of the Dogs
).
He holds the record for Footscray
's most consecutive games from debut.
He has a son Mitchell Wallis who played for the Calder Cannons
in 2009 and 2010 and was best on ground in the TAC Cup Grand Final. Mitchell was drafted under the Father son rule
in the 2010 AFL Draft
.
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 in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(formerly the VFL).
Originally from Leongatha, Victoria
Leongatha, Victoria
Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located south-east of Melbourne. The town is the commercial, religious, educational and civic centre of the region. At the 2006 census, Leongatha had a population of 4,504.The Murray...
, Wallis arrived at the Footscray Football Club
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 1982 and suffered an injury in a reserves game which kept him out for the rest of the season. He made his senior VFL debut in 1983 and became a solid defender and occasional midfielder.
In 1989, Wallis was appointed captain of the Bulldogs, and became a representative of Victoria in State of Origin. Midway through 1991 he suffered a broken wrist, forcing him to miss the rest of the season, but returned in 1992 to help the Bulldogs to the finals. However, injury struck again early in the following year when he badly injured his knee.
In 1996, Wallis announced his retirement and played his last game with in a three-point loss to Essendon (which was documented in the film Year of the Dogs
Year of the Dogs
Year of the Dogs is a 1997 documentary detailing the 1996 season of the Footscray Football Club .Filmed during the turbulent 1996 season where they finished second-last in the Australian Football League, the documentary follows the club and two dedicated fans, Pat and Jenny Hogson...
).
He holds the record for 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...
's most consecutive games from debut.
He has a son Mitchell Wallis who played for the Calder Cannons
Calder Cannons
The Calder Cannons are an Australian rules football club from Melbourne, Australia.The club competes in the TAC Cup and fields squads in the U15, 16 and most importantly the U18s. The club was formed in 1995 after the need for two more metropolitan clubs...
in 2009 and 2010 and was best on ground in the TAC Cup Grand Final. Mitchell was drafted under the Father son rule
Father-son rule
The father-son rule is a rule that allows clubs to select the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the team in Australian rules football, most notably the Australian Football League...
in the 2010 AFL Draft
2010 AFL Draft
The 2010 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These are the Trade Week; held between , the National Draft; held on the , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .This is the first national draft to feature the...
.