Brian (Bill) John Youd

Throughout Tasmania's rich sporting history, the name Youd is synonymous with excellence in the sport of woodchopping. Now, Bill Youd joins his brothers Doug and Merv in the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.

Bill first competed as a 16-year-old in Somerset in 1955, and continued his love affair with the sport until his retirement in 2000. Not even an offer to play with the Richmond Football Club in the VFL could entice him to leave Tasmania or his beloved woodchopping.

Bill is without doubt one of the greatest tree fellers in the sport's history. During the course of an outstanding career, he won an incredible 62 tree felling titles. Included in that number were nine World titles, 19 Australian titles, and other wins in competitions across the globe, from New Zealand to the United States and Indonesia. He also captained the Australian team on six occasions.

In his stellar 35-year career at the elite level of competition, Bill was inducted into the Australian Axeman's Hall of Fame and assigned legend status. He won an Award of Merit from the Australian Axeman's Association for outstanding service to the sport, and also won an Advocate Champion of Sport Award and a Mercury Stars of Sport Award.

Bill is now mentoring young axemen, helping them to gain the skills and experience to compete at the highest level. As the latest member of the Youd woodchopping dynasty to be welcomed into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame, Bill's impressive achievements and his dedication to fostering talent amongst younger generations make him a worthy inductee.