WA Heller
1959-60 to 1969-70 · 112 matches for the club
Debut v Collingwood, 1959-60 (30 Jan 1960)Last game v North Melbourne, 1969-70 (7 Mar 1970)Player no. 321 to appear for the club
- Premiers 1960-61
- Premiers 1966-67
- Century season 1961-62
- Century season 1963-64
- Century season 1964-65
- 2 five-fors 1964-65
- Captain 1964-65
On this dayin 1962: 15* and 0/12 v Carlton
112
Matches
2,319
Runs
20.89
Average
135
Highest
3 / 5
100s / 50s
99
Wickets
21.63
Bowling avg
6/23
Best
52
Catches
Season by season
| Season | M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | Overs | Wkts | Best | Ct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-60 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 84 | 40 | 28.00 | 9 (8) | 0 | 0/1 | 1 |
| 1960-61 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 92 | 62 | 15.33 | 7 (8) | 0 | 0/11 | 1 |
| 1961-62 | 14 | 18 | 3 | 415 | 125 | 27.67 | 51 (8) | 5 | 2/44 | 8 |
| 1962-63 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 114 | 40 | 12.67 | 17 (8) | 0 | 0/0 | 9 |
| 1963-64 | 15 | 17 | 4 | 424 | 135 | 32.62 | 137.6 (8) | 29 | 4/18 | 8 |
| 1964-65 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 290 | 130 | 19.33 | 87.4 (8) | 16 | 6/23 | 5 |
| 1965-66 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 245 | 71 | 18.85 | 91 (8) | 14 | 4/33 | 6 |
| 1966-67 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 245 | 45 | 22.27 | 62 (8) | 7 | 3/45 | 5 |
| 1967-68 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 184 | 56* | 23.00 | 61 (8) | 9 | 3/17 | 3 |
| 1968-69 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 16 | 5.75 | 25 (8) | 2 | 1/11 | |
| 1969-70 | 13 | 18 | 4 | 203 | 34 | 14.50 | 126.4 (8) | 17 | 3/0 | 6 |
| Career | 112 | 128 | 17 | 2,319 | 135 | 20.89 | 674.6 (8-ball) | 99 | 6/23 | 52 |
Milestones
- DebutFirst matchv Collingwood, 1959-60
- First fifty62v Melbourne, 1960-61
- First hundred125v Richmond, 1961-62
- First five-for6/23v Prahran, 1964-65
- Highest score135v Melbourne, 1963-64
- Best bowling6/23v Prahran, 1964-65
- Last matchMatch 112v North Melbourne, 1969-70
Runs by season
Wickets by season
Every innings, in order
Lighter bars are not-out innings. Hover a bar for the match.
Against each club
 Melbourne | 11 | 405 | 135 | 33.75 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 22.78 | 3/47 | |
 Casey South Melbourne | 11 | 77 | 30* | 9.63 | 17 | 17.53 | 4/25 | |||
 Richmond | 10 | 248 | 125 | 24.80 | 1 | 10 | 17.90 | 3/0 | ||
 Essendon | 9 | 240 | 67 | 26.67 | 1 | 9 | 32.89 | 3/96 | ||
 Greenvale Kanagaroos | 9 | 196 | 71 | 28.00 | 1 | 11 | 15.09 | 6/59 | 1 | |
 St Kilda | 9 | 144 | 36 | 12.00 | 5 | 37.20 | 2/23 | |||
 Melbourne University | 8 | 156 | 65 | 17.33 | 1 | 7 | 17.00 | 3/6 | ||
 Prahran | 8 | 149 | 44 | 16.56 | 10 | 11.00 | 6/23 | 1 | ||
 Carlton | 8 | 123 | 29 | 17.57 | 8 | 19.25 | 4/18 | |||
 Kingston Hawthorn | 8 | 89 | 24 | 9.89 | 4 | 39.25 | 2/30 | |||
 Camberwell Magpies | 7 | 261 | 130 | 43.50 | 1 | 5 | 30.00 | 3/17 | ||
 Footscray | 7 | 128 | 31* | 21.33 | 3 | 24.00 | 2/15 | |||
 Northcote | 7 | 103 | 56* | 14.71 | 1 | 1 | 49.00 | 1/17 |
Clubs that merged are counted as one, under today's name. Tap a heading to sort; open a club for every match against it.
Splits
By batting position
| Pos | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 50s | 100s | 0s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 20.00 | |||
| 2 | 8 | 0 | 241 | 130 | 30.13 | 1 | ||
| 3 | 26 | 3 | 445 | 71 | 19.35 | 2 | 3 | |
| 4 | 19 | 1 | 503 | 125 | 27.94 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 22 | 5 | 229 | 44 | 13.47 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 23 | 2 | 436 | 135 | 20.76 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | 13 | 3 | 237 | 45 | 23.70 | 1 | ||
| 8 | 7 | 2 | 64 | 23 | 12.80 | 1 | ||
| 9 | 8 | 1 | 140 | 34 | 20.00 | 1 | ||
| 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 50s | 100s | 0s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top order (1–3) | 35 | 3 | 706 | 130 | 22.06 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Middle order (4–7) | 77 | 11 | 1,405 | 135 | 21.29 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| Lower order (8–11) | 16 | 3 | 208 | 34 | 16.00 | 2 |
Batted most often at 3rd.
Scores and consistency
- Ducks17
- 1–946
- 10–1922
- 20–2917
- 30–4918
- 50–995
- 100+3
Turned 3 of 8 fifty-plus scores into hundreds. 9.9% of the side's runs in the innings batted. Top-scored for the side 12 times.
Dismissals
- Caught75 · 68%
- Bowled17 · 15%
- Caught & bowled8 · 7%
- Run out5 · 5%
- Stumped3 · 3%
- LBW3 · 3%
Most often dismissed by: Hosking (5), Connolly (4), Smith (3), Walker (3), Harmer (3).
In wins and losses
| Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 50s | 100s | 0s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In wins | 71 | 13 | 1,518 | 135 | 26.17 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| In losses | 53 | 3 | 771 | 71 | 15.42 | 2 | 5 | |
| In draws | 3 | 1 | 29 | 24 | 14.50 | 1 | ||
| In ties | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| M | Wkts | Avg | Wkts / match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In wins | 46 | 64 | 18.02 | 1.4 |
| In losses | 33 | 35 | 27.11 | 1.1 |
| In draws | 2 | 0 | – | 0.0 |
| In ties | 1 | 0 | – | 0.0 |
- Scored 50+: the side won 6 of 8 (75%), lost 2.
- Took 5+ in an innings: the side won 2 of 2 (100%).
- Every other match: the side won 57 of 102 (56%), lost 40.
Batting first or second
| Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 50s | 100s | 0s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting first | 60 | 5 | 986 | 125 | 17.93 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Batting second | 46 | 6 | 912 | 135 | 22.80 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Second innings of the match | 22 | 6 | 421 | 71 | 26.31 | 2 | 2 |
As captain and keeper
| Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 50s | 100s | 0s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As captain | 3 | 0 | 37 | 31 | 12.33 | |||
| Otherwise | 125 | 17 | 2,282 | 135 | 21.13 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
By ground
| Ground | M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Bowl avg | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy Cricket Ground | 53 | 62 | 1,131 | 135 | 21.75 | 52 | 20.33 | 6/59 |
| Albert Ground | 8 | 11 | 270 | 67 | 24.55 | 5 | 39.60 | 3/96 |
| Victoria Park | 6 | 6 | 131 | 40 | 26.20 | 5 | 20.40 | 3/17 |
| North Melbourne Cricket Ground | 6 | 5 | 180 | 71 | 36.00 | 2 | 36.00 | 2/38 |
| St Kilda Cricket Ground | 5 | 7 | 101 | 45 | 14.43 | 3 | 48.33 | 2/36 |
| Glenferrie Oval | 5 | 6 | 49 | 22* | 9.80 | 2 | 30.00 | 2/30 |
| South Melbourne Cricket Ground | 5 | 3 | 28 | 24 | 9.33 | 6 | 20.50 | 3/45 |
| Toorak Park | 4 | 5 | 74 | 33 | 14.80 | 8 | 8.88 | 6/23 |
| Richmond Cricket Ground | 4 | 4 | 46 | 26 | 11.50 | 8 | 14.00 | 3/0 |
| Carlton Cricket Ground | 4 | 4 | 73 | 29 | 24.33 | 1 | 61.00 | 1/31 |
| Essendon Cricket Ground | 4 | 4 | 61 | 29* | 20.33 | 1 | 75.00 | 1/10 |
| University Oval | 3 | 4 | 88 | 65 | 29.33 | 4 | 9.50 | 3/6 |
| Bill Lawry Oval, Northcote | 3 | 4 | 25 | 9 | 6.25 | – | – | 0/12 |
| Western Oval | 2 | 3 | 62 | 29 | 62.00 | 2 | 7.50 | 2/15 |
Wickets taken
- Caught59 · 60%
- Bowled27 · 27%
- Caught & bowled8 · 8%
- LBW5 · 5%
Batters dismissed
- Top order (1–3)37 · 37%
- Middle order (4–7)38 · 38%
- Lower order (8–11)24 · 24%
2 five-wicket hauls. Best in a match: 7/54 v Carlton, 1963-64. Wicket types count only matches where the card's dismissals add up to the bowling figures.
At the club
In the record book
- 41st of 488 run-scorers
- 40th of 298 wicket-takers
- 43rd of 525 for matches played
- 30th of 81 for hundreds
- 43rd of 431 for catches
- 85th of 203 for batting average (20+ innings)
Among players of 1959-60 to 1969-70: 9th of 66 for runs, 9th of 44 for wickets, 8th of 70 for matches, 6th of 12 for hundreds, 10th of 59 for catches, 13th of 38 for batting average.
Under Fitzroy: 27th of 321 for runs, 26th of 172 for wickets, 25th of 345 for matches, 18th of 50 for hundreds, 22nd of 279 for catches, 48th of 126 for batting average.
Played like…
- DR Hampton1989-90 to 1996-97 · 88 m · 1,947 runs · 98 wkts
- NR Buszard1969-70 to 1976-77 · 82 m · 1,936 runs · 62 wkts
- DHL Arnall1941-42 to 1956-57 · 131 m · 3,359 runs · 99 wkts
- JL Travaglia1997-98 to 2005-06 · 96 m · 1,311 runs · 97 wkts
The careers nearest Heller’s in length, runs and wickets a match, average and the balance of batting to bowling.
Most often alongside
- EP Illingworth · 104
- DJ Anderson · 79
- GL Harvey · 76
- LJ Davison · 63
- BA Kline · 62
- RC Bitmead · 59
- RW Furlong · 58
- J Potter · 55
- AL Thomson · 40
- P Huntington · 36
Matches in the same side, from the published cards.
As captain
Led the side in 3 matches (1964-65): won 2, lost 1, drawn 0.
Most often led
The shape of the career
Season by season
Runs, up Wickets, downPremiership
1960-61: premiership · 1966-67: premiership
The arc
WA Heller's best season with the bat was 1963-64: 424 runs from 17 innings at 32.62. The best ten-innings patch came in 1961-62 to 1962-63: 319 runs at 39.88. The leanest, 1962-63 to 1963-64: 49 runs at 7.00.
Batting average over the last ten innings, at each innings of the career.
Milestones
| Milestone | When | Match |
|---|---|---|
| First fifty62 | 11 Mar 1961 | v Melbourne, 1960-61 |
| First hundred125 | 17 Mar 1962 | v Richmond, 1961-62 |
| 1,000th run65 took him to 1,015 | 7 Mar 1964 | v University, 1963-64 |
| 50th match5 & 15, 0/32 & 0/11 | 3 Oct 1964 | v Melbourne, 1964-65 |
| First five-for6/23 | 28 Nov 1964 | v Prahran, 1964-65 |
| 50th wicket1/17 took him to 50 | 1 Feb 1965 | v South Melbourne, 1964-65 |
| 2,000th run56* took him to 2,040 | 20 Jan 1968 | v Northcote, 1967-68 |
| 100th match0, 0/12 | 4 Oct 1969 | v Carlton, 1969-70 |
Streaks
- Consecutive scores of 25 or more: 3 innings
- from v Essendon, 1961-62 to v Richmond, 1961-62 · first · last
- Consecutive matches played: 29 matches
- from v Hawthorn-East Melbourne, 1962-63 to v Hawthorn-East Melbourne, 1964-65 · first · last
- Consecutive matches with a wicket: 5 matches
- from v Carlton, 1963-64 to v Essendon, 1963-64 · first · last
Best innings
| Score | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 135 | v Melbourne, 1963-64 | Won |
| 130 | v Collingwood, 1964-65 | Won |
| 125 | v Richmond, 1961-62 | Won, Semi-final |
| 71 | v North Melbourne, 1965-66 | Lost |
| 67 | v Essendon, 1963-64 | Lost, Final |
Best bowling
| Figures | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 6/23 | v Prahran, 1964-65 | Won |
| 6/59 | v North Melbourne, 1964-65 | Won |
| 4/18 | v Carlton, 1963-64 | Won |
| 4/25 | v South Melbourne, 1963-64 | Won |
| 4/33 | v South Melbourne, 1965-66 | Won |
More splits
Batting position over the years
Moved about the order across 11 seasons: at 3rd in 3, at 6th in 3, at 7th in 2, at 4th in 1, opened in 1, at 9th in 1.
Home and away
| M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Bowl avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 53 | 62 | 10 | 1,131 | 135 | 21.75 | 52 | 20.33 |
| Away | 59 | 66 | 7 | 1,188 | 71 | 20.14 | 47 | 23.06 |
Home taken as the ground the club played at most in each season: Fitzroy Cricket Ground, Schramms Reserve.
By day
| M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Bowl avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 97 | 114 | 13 | 2,150 | 135 | 21.29 | 93 | 20.86 |
| Weekday | 15 | 14 | 4 | 169 | 45 | 16.90 | 6 | 33.50 |
Month by month
| Month | M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Bowl avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct | 20 | 24 | 4 | 299 | 40 | 14.95 | 11 | 21.00 |
| Nov | 22 | 25 | 5 | 472 | 130 | 23.60 | 24 | 14.54 |
| Dec | 8 | 11 | 1 | 153 | 34 | 15.30 | 15 | 15.33 |
| Jan | 23 | 26 | 4 | 524 | 135 | 23.82 | 11 | 49.09 |
| Feb | 21 | 21 | 3 | 234 | 40 | 13.00 | 19 | 17.68 |
| Mar | 17 | 20 | 0 | 633 | 125 | 31.65 | 19 | 23.95 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 |
Finals
| M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Bowl avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home and away | 103 | 117 | 17 | 1,939 | 135 | 19.39 | 90 | 20.87 |
| Finals | 9 | 11 | 0 | 380 | 125 | 34.55 | 9 | 29.22 |
Favourite victims
- IR Redpath × 4
- P Bourke × 3
- PD Williams × 3
- CN Crompton × 2
- FB Bedwell × 2
- GC Brown × 2
- GT Lahiff × 2
- I Monks × 2
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North Melbourne
Hawthorn-East Melbourne