The Australian rugby community is mourning the loss of Wallaby #514, Arthur McGill, who passed away on Thursday aged 80.
McGill was a beautifully balanced fullback who could kick with either foot and defend strongly. He also produced brilliant attacking football at a time when Australian rugby was trying to rebound from a string of key retirements and defections to rugby league.
Fortunately, McGill slotted seamlessly into the custodial position, a position he dominated for six seasons, following the great Jim Lenehan’s retirement in 1967.
Born in Sydney, McGill was educated at Drummoyne High School and naturally gravitated to the Drummoyne club where he played First Grade in 1964. The following year McGill was selected for the Wallaby trials for the upcoming tour by South Africa but was injured and subsequently missed selection.
McGill played his first senior representative game for Sydney against New South Wales Country in 1966 however Peter Ryan and Jim Lenehan were preferred at state level.
Two years later McGill got the nod when he debuted for New South Wales against Queensland at Ballymore and scored eight points in the 20-15 win. That performance saw him selected for the Junior Wallabies tour match against New Zealand and despite what was a decisive loss (3-43), McGill was chosen to make his Test debut in Sydney.
A week later McGill very nearly kicked Australia to one of the great upsets before a late and controversial penalty try saw New Zealand prevail 19-18. McGill scored 15 points (5PG) to set a new Australian individual point scoring record in a single Test to surpass the 46-year old record of ‘Bot’ Stanley.
At the end of the season McGill was chosen for his first Wallaby tour, to Ireland and Scotland, however injury robbed him of the opportunity. In a warmup match against Western Australia on route to the U.K. McGill badly tore the ligaments in his left knee.
He missed both internationals, and with McGill the only fullback selected, Australia were forced to call upon the versatile Barry Honan to fill the custodial role.
Upon his return to the side, McGill started the next 16 consecutive Tests through to the end of the 1972 tour of New Zealand. It was a difficult time for the Wallabies as they won just two Tests, and drew one, in that four-year period however along with John Cole, captain Greg Davis and Roy Prosser, McGill proved to be a consistent and more than valuable selection.
Arthur McGill played 21 Tests for Australia in a six-year international career. He finished with a then Australian individual career record of 72 points (1T, 9C, 16PG, 1DG).
He is survived by wife Annie, children Christian, Britt and Alexander, and grandchildren, Hamish and Penny.
A celebration of Arthur’s life will be held at the Greg Davis Stand, Drummoyne Oval next Friday, January 17th from 1.00 pm.
