# Wally Chalmers > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wally_Chalmers > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wally_Chalmers.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Chalmers > Source revision: 1302843171 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the South African cricketer, see [Wally Chalmers (cricketer)](/source/Wally_Chalmers_(cricketer)). **Walter Henry Chalmers** (16 September 1890 – 17 November 1966) was an [Australian rules footballer](/source/Australian_rules_football) who played with [Essendon](/source/Essendon_Football_Club) in the [Victorian Football League](/source/Australian_Football_League) (VFL). Recruited from Carlton District, Chalmers was a wingman and debuted for Essendon in the 1911 season. He played in that year's premiership side and in another premiership side the following year. His career was interrupted by the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) but he returned to Essendon in 1918 for one final season. ## Personal life Wally Chalmers was the second of three sons[1] of prominent Australian stage actors George Chalmers (1854–1937)[2] and Katie Towers (1870–1946).[3] George Chalmers was the stage name of George Weeks[4] and Chalmers was born Walter Henry Weeks in Carlton, Victoria on 16 September 1890. He married Harriet Stuart Schilling (1889–1961) in 1914. ## VFL career Wally Chalmers came to from the seconds, and commenced his career in the [Victorian Football League](/source/Victorian_Football_League) (VFL) in [1911](/source/1911_VFL_season). Under the captaincy of [David Smith](/source/David_Smith_(sportsman)) and coaching tenure of [Jack Worrall](/source/Jack_Worrall),[5] Chalmers played on the [wing](/source/Australian_rules_football_positions), and within the space of his first season, he came to be recognised as the best wingman in the entire league.[6] Essendon finished the season as [minor premiers](/source/List_of_AFL_Minor_Premiers) and met in the [1911 VFL Grand Final](/source/1911_VFL_Grand_Final) at the [Melbourne Cricket Ground](/source/Melbourne_Cricket_Ground) (MCG). Chalmers retained his position as a wingman for the game as Essendon defeated Collingwood by a goal, making Chalmers a premiership player in his first ever season at the senior level. In 1911, Chalmers also represented the VFL in matches against sides from the [Ballarat Football League](/source/Ballarat_Football_League) and the [Bendigo Football League](/source/Bendigo_Football_League). In 1912, Chalmers, this time under the captaincy of [Allan Belcher](/source/Allan_Belcher),[5] became a dual premiership player when Essendon defeated in the [1912 VFL Grand Final](/source/1912_VFL_Grand_Final). Chalmers had once more played a premiership on the wing. He continued his career at Essendon through to [1915](/source/1915_VFL_season), after which Essendon withdrew from the competition due to [World War I](/source/World_War_I). When the club re-entered the VFL in 1918,[7] Chalmers continued playing for Essendon, switching his No. 7 guernsey for No. 2, although he would only play a further 6 games before his career at the senior level concluded.[8] ## Statistics Season Team No. Games Goals 1911 Essendon 7 19 2 1912 Essendon 7 16 1 1913 Essendon 7 16 1 1914 Essendon 7 15 6 1915 Essendon 7 1 0 1918 Essendon 2 6 1 Career totals 73 11 ## Notes 1. ["LIEUT. GEORGE CHALMERS"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154549083). *Winner*. No. 143. 18 April 1917. p. 8. 1. ["STAGE FIGURE PASSES OVER AT 83"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229437320). *The Sun*. No. 8663. 9 October 1937. p. 2. 1. ["Australian Actress Katie Towers Dead"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248524601). *The Daily Telegraph*. Vol. XI, no. 137. 30 August 1946. p. 10. 1. ["Old players meet at funeral of actress, 75"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248580685). *The Daily Telegraph*. Vol. VII, no. 42. 1 September 1946. p. 5. 1. ["Essendon Football Club - Club Honours"](http://www.essendonfc.com.au/history/honours.asp). *essendonfc.com.au*. Retrieved 9 December 2020. 1. ["Essendon Football Club profile"](http://www.essendonfc.com.au/team/player-past.asp?id=149#profile). *essendonfc.com.au*. Retrieved 9 December 2020. 1. ["Essendon Football Club - Club History"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120611064128/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/history/history2.asp). *essendonfc.com.au*. Archived from [the original](http://www.essendonfc.com.au/history/history2.asp) on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2020. ## References - Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). *The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers*. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing. - [Essendon Football Club profile](http://www.essendonfc.com.au/team/player-past.asp?id=149#profile) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wally Chalmers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Chalmers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Chalmers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.