Carlton’s VFL Pioneers: Wally Powell

Published February 2026

Carlton was a foundation member of the VFL when it formed in 1897. The first five years were tough for the club, winning only 15 out of 71 matches. They were also tough for the 98 young men who played for the club in those years. They had grown up during Victoria’s worst ever economic recession. 59 of these players did not play beyond one season and another 17 played only two.

One of those players was “Wally” Powell.

William Powell was his name by birth but he was known, at least in football circles, as “Wally” and occasionally as “Baden” in reference to the scouting pioneer who was famous at the time.

Wally was part of a large and sporting family with lifetime long links to Ballarat, to mining and to hotelkeeping.

Wally was one of 15 children of James and Susannah Powell who were born in Wales and arrived in Victoria in 1862.

They soon settled in Ballarat (in Sebastopol) and James senior set up in the hotel business. It was a colourful existence for the family: apart from the challenges of getting and keeping a license there were charges of sly grogging and assaults. They took on the Prince Alfred Hotel but it did not go well and they were declared insolvent in 1870 “due to depression in business and sickness in family”. But they got going again and by 1888 were running the Sir William Wallace Hotel.

By 1894 James senior had given up hotelling and was working as an engineman at the Steiglitz mine and was one of seven miners returning to town when the coach got out of control and crashed on the Steiglitz and Meredith road. The driver was killed immediately, all passengers were injured and James succumbed to his injuries a few days later. Wally was 16 at the time of his father’s death.

Wally had older brothers who led the way in the family involvement in football and cricket. James junior, known to all as “Duxy” and seven years older than Wally was reported in The Melbourne Weekly Times in 1897 as follows:

“Duxy “ Powell comes from a family of footballers. The bright particular star of the brothers was Powell, who was last year known as a capital forward in Melbourne. Powell …. is a clever and active rover and …… shows himself a “brainy” fellow in the utilisation of the forces under his command. He is 24 years old and possessed of great bodily strength.

Apart from the 1896 season that he played with the Melbourne Club in the VFA, where he kicked nine goals, Duxy played for the Ballarat Imperials for many years. The Imperials were an early and strong Australian Rules Club and competed regularly against Melbourne based VFA clubs. They were one of the most successful teams in the local competition where they won 11 of 14 premierships during the 1890’s and 1900’s when the Powell brothers were playing.

Off the field he was initially a miner but spent many years as a hotelier, following in his father’s footsteps.

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Premiers 1900 : Duxy 6th player from left in back row

Duxy was a clever forward, being the leading goalkicker from his early years. He was captain for many seasons and known in his later playing days as “the old general”.

Younger brother Tom appears on an Imperials team sheet at fullback in 1902 while Duxy was named at full forward.

Duxy Powell

Little brother Wally followed in James’ footsteps, playing with the Ballarat Imperials from a young age. He played in a premiership team as a 17 year old and in 1896 he played against a visiting Carlton team in a social match and must have made an impression.

He had grown up in his father’s hotels and suffered a severely broken leg as a four year old when hit by the wheel of a passing wagon. He started work as a miner.

He first appeared with Carlton as a 22 year old in the first round of the 1900 season, playing 16 games. He missed the 1901 season but played another 12 games in 1902. He had been joined by another Imperials player Tom Fox. There seems to have been a connection between Carlton and the Imperials during those years.

Wally married Adelaide Graham during the 1902 season and was granted a permit to return to the Ballarat Imperials.

But disasters were soon to follow. A first son was born in 1903 but died in infancy. Late in the year Wally contracted Tuberculosis.
In mid 1904 efforts were made to raise funds for Wally and his family. “A match has been arranged by the Imperial Club as a benefit to a former player W. Powell who has been laid aside through illness.” Carlton contributed to the fund. Wally thanked all those who had raised the sum of 65 pounds and apologised for his delay in thanking everyone as he had been ordered to a warmer climate. He died in October of that year.

Adelaide was pregnant and a second son was born months after Wally’s death but he also died in infancy.

The local Ballarat media described Wally as an “old time Imperial footballer”. Carlton described him as “a brilliant centreman”.
Adelaide had lost all her family and did marry again but died soon after at the age of only 33.

Older brother Duxy did not settle into a quiet life after football. In 1915, early in WWI and as a 44 year old, he joined his son in the Army and served in the Mining Corps in France before being repatriated to England where he played a season as a wicket keeper including a game played at Lords. Even when he returned he did not settle and drove several months to Western Australia and spent most of his money much to his wife’s chagrin said a family story.

Duxy eventually died in the Caulfield Military Hospital, later described by the author George Johnston in the book “My Brother Jack” based on the stories of his mother who worked there.

Duxy and son during the war years

Wally Powell lived a short life and lived somewhat in the shadow of his brother but made his contribution to the early years of the Carlton Football Club.