Bill Roberts (footballer, born 1897)

William Laurence Roberts (9 May 1897 – 7 September 1960) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).^[1]

Bill Roberts
Personal information
Full name	William Laurence Roberts
Date of birth	(1897-05-09)9 May 1897
Place of birth	Broken Hill, New South Wales
Date of death	7 September 1960(1960-09-07) (aged 63)
Place of death	Fitzroy, Victoria
Original team(s)	Traralgon / Trafalgar
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1923	South Melbourne	1 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1923.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Roberts played a single game for South Melbourne in Round 2 of the 1923 season against Fitzroy. During the game, one of the Fitzroy players recognised him as a man who, under the name “Williams” had been at Fitzroy two or three seasons previously.^[2] Investigations revealed he had been granted a permit to move from North Adelaide to Fitzroy using the name “W. Reidy”.^[3] Roberts claimed he had no knowledge of this 1921 permit but the League refused his request for a permit to move to Port Melbourne and his senior football career ended.

In early 1922, Roberts was arrested for stealing a £10 note,^[4] and subsequently sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Goulburn jail.^[5]