Warning: this article contains the name and image of an Aboriginal person who has died.
AFL great William 'Bill' Dempsey MBE, a champion who paved the way for future Indigenous footballers, has passed away in Perth.
Legendary in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the Jingili, Warramunga and Ngalakan man leaves behind a legacy that goes beyond his time on the field.
"[He was] one of a kind," his brother John Paterson told NITV.
"[He] did not have the privilege of being born in a birthing suite, like many kids being born now."
The Boy from Birdum
The ‘Boy from Birdum’ was born in1942 under a tree in “a small makeshift army camp” nearly 500 kilometres southeast of Darwin.
In the Birdum camp, he was cared for by his mother, grandparents and aunties, but they were soon evacuated to Victor Harbour in South Australia, due to the bombing of Darwin the month before.
Dempsey spent most of his childhood at Retta Dixon mission, hundreds of kilometres away from his home and family, after being removed as part of the Stolen Generations at three years old.
His brother told NITV that the more than 200 other Aboriginal kids in care became Bill's “Retta Dixon brothers and sisters”.
“Even though they weren't biologically related, it was that bond, that understanding, that shared caring and looking after one another that made them all one big family,” Paterson said.
In his mid-teens, Dempsey was scouted while playing for the Darwin Buffaloes by Jack Larkin, who had contacts to the recruit manager at West Perth Football Club.
Scouted alongside him was Jimmy Anderson - another promising Aboriginal player in the same squad at Darwin Buffaloes. They were “boys from the bush going to the city” together, as they trialled playing for West Perth.
Anderson ended up returning to Darwin, but Paterson says his brother was encouraged to stay on.
“He told him, 'You're going to do proud for the Retta Dixon mob, your family and all the Aboriginal people here in the Northern Territory,'" says Paterson.
"[Bill] fought the cold winters [in Perth], missing family. But that thought in his mind all the time, what Jimmy said: 'You gotta make a name for us.'"
A stellar career
Early contracts allowed his return to Darwin each summer to play with his former club, which AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon says made him a “12-month-a-year player who starred wherever he played”.
Dempsey went on to have a trailblazing career in both the NT and WA, including:
- 343 games for West Perth (1960-76), scoring 89 goals
- NTFL Player Darwin Buffaloes 1959-69, estimated 140 games
- 14 games for WA
- Three-time WA Premiership player: 1969, 1971, 1975
- Three-time NT Premiership player: 1959, 1960, 1968
- Simpson Medal: 1969
- West Perth Captain: 1973-76
- Darwin Captain: 1964-65
- West Perth Team of the Century, Indigenous Team of the Century
- Australian Football Hall of Fame
- WA Football Hall of Fame
Dedicated to his community
Beyond his accolades, Dempsey is remembered for paving the way for NT footy talent to succeed in the sport.
"[He] devoted his working life after football to supporting his community and was an incredibly humble recipient of the Sir Doug Nicholls award, talking always of his desire for people to be able to see the point of view of others," said Mr Dillon.
Over the years, Bill looked out for younger Indigenous players from the NT relocating to Perth, helping them settle into the city and their respective clubs, offering places to stay and meals if young players needed them.
“They all suffered home sickness, but [he made] them feel at home,” Paterson said.
Dempsey also worked with Western Australian Professional Services in prisons, engaging Indigenous inmates on how to integrate back into the community.
Paterson says this mission to spread positivity and uplift others is the true reflection of his character.
“He was a man of his word, kind-hearted, resilient and always wanted to make people have a happy day," he said.
“We couldn't go anywhere without people coming up and wanting to shake his hand and pat him on the back, have a yarn with him.
"That's his legacy.”
