Joseph Francis Wilson (27 September 1870 – 7 December 1912) was an Australian sportsman who was prominent during the late 19th century. Originally from Launceston, Tasmania, he was educated at Launceston Grammar School and played Australian rules football and cricket for the school's firsts aged only 15. In addition to his school sports, Wilson played football for the Launceston Football Club in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) and cricket for several senior Launceston clubs. He established himself as one of Launceston's best all-round sportsmen by the time he completed high school; he was a prominent member of Launceston Football Club's consecutive NTFA premiership teams of 1888 and 1889, and he regularly represented Northern Tasmania in cricket and football.

Wilson moved to Melbourne in 1890 after being offered a banking job on the condition he play for the Melbourne Football Club, which competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), and the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC). He played for the cricket club for four seasons, but was never consistently selected in the first XI. Wilson's most notable performances for the MCC were the final match of the 1892–93 season when he was part of a last-wicket partnership that secured the premiership for Melbourne and a match against a touring English XI where he took the wickets of three Test cricketers.

As a footballer, Wilson was known for his marking and versatility—he was as a utility who could be positioned as a forward, defender or follower. He quickly established himself as one of Melbourne's best players and represented Victoria in his second season with the club. Melbourne had been one of the weaker sides in the competition when he joined, but the recruitment of Wilson and several other prominent players began to steadily turn the club around. By the mid-1890s, Melbourne was a regular contender for the VFA premiership and in 1893 and 1894 finished runners-up to powerhouse Essendon. Towards the end of the 1895 season, the Melbourne captain, Eddie Fox, retired and Wilson was appointed his replacement for the remainder of the year. He continued in the role for a further season before retiring at the end of 1896.

Early life Joe Wilson was educated at Launceston Grammar School. A talented junior sportsman, he regularly represented the school in football and cricket. He is first recorded playing football for the school's firsts in 1885, which is around the same time he first played for Launceston Football Club's seconds. The following summer he played cricket for his school and the Our Boys Cricket Club first XI. In one match for Our Boys, his batting was described by the Launceston Examiner as "the feature of the game". In March 1886, Wilson dominated a match between his school and Horton College—he made 154 runs in his team's first innings, at the time the second highest individual score ever recorded at the Launceston Cricket Ground, and then took 17 wickets, including a hat-trick, for only 28 runs in Horton's two innings. At the conclusion of the cricket season, Wilson won two trophies from the Our Boys club—for highest individual score and highest batting average.

In June 1886, Wilson played his first match for Launceston Football Club's senior team, in a non-premiership game against Latrobe. He spent most of the season in the seconds and kicked one goal for the year. The next cricket season he again played for Our Boys and his school. On Boxing Day 1886, Wilson represented Northern Tasmania in the annual North v South match in Hobart. After a match in February 1887, Launceston's Daily Telegraph described Wilson as "from his present form, [...] fit for any eleven in Tasmania". At the conclusion of the cricket season, Wilson again represented Northern Tasmania, this time against the touring Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC).

Wilson played several matches for Launceston's firsts during the 1887 football season. In a match against Holebrook, he was named among the team's best players. Wilson played for his school during the 1887–88 cricket season and, in one match against Esk, took five wickets for 67 runs (5/67). Later that season he also played for Launceston Cricket Club in a game against Esk. In April 1888, he represented his school in rowing.

For the 1888 season, Wilson was made captain of the Launceston Grammar School football team. He also became a leading player for the Launceston Football Club. Wilson kicked two of his team's three goals in a school match against Horton College, and was named in Launceston's best players in several games, including matches against South Launceston and City that counted towards the premiership. In a match that was to decide the premiership, against South Launceston, Wilson put in a creditable performance. The game ended in a draw, which left the teams even on the ladder, and a subsequent game was scheduled for two weeks later. In that match, Wilson kicked one of Launceston's five goals as they ran out two-goal victors to win their first Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) premiership. He was named in Launceston's best players for the match by the Launceston Examiner. For the following cricket season, Wilson moved to play with St. Leonards.

After high school

In one of the early matches of the 1889 football season, Wilson was best on ground in Launceston's win against City. It was reported in June 1889 by The Colonist that Wilson had moved to Hobart and was likely to join Railway Football Club in the Southern Tasmanian Football Association (STFA). However, before completing the move, Wilson changed his mind and elected to keep playing for Launceston. When Victorian Football Association (VFA) side South Melbourne toured in July, Wilson represented the NTFA against them—he was named one of the local side's better players in a six-goal loss. Launceston won their second consecutive premiership that year. In a game towards the end of the season, En Avant of The Colonist described Wilson's marking as "a treat to witness".

Wilson played for Tamar Cricket Club during the 1889–90 season. He again represented Northern Tasmania in the annual North v South match, playing an innings that was said to "please all lovers of the game". In another representative match, he played for a combined Northern Tasmania side against the touring Victorians; Wilson made 45 runs against a bowling attack that included Test cricketers Harry Trott and Eugene Palmer.

Melbourne Move to Melbourne

In April 1890, it was announced in The Colonist that Wilson was leaving Launceston to move to Melbourne. He had been recruited by Major Wardill, the secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, who offered Wilson a "lucrative position" at a Melbourne branch of the National Bank of Australasia if he came to play for the cricket club and the Melbourne Football Club, with which the cricket club had a close affiliation. On his departure from Tasmania, he was described as "the best all-round cricketer and footballer in the North".

Wilson made his debut for the Melbourne Football Club on 24 May in a match against Ballarat that did not count towards the VFA premiership. He had an immediate impact, kicking the first goal of the match. Wilson made his VFA debut a week later, playing as a follower in a match against South Melbourne. Writing in The Australasian, Markwell was complimentary of Wilson's performance, saying he gave South trouble. In the round 8 match against Geelong, Wilson scored what was described as a "splendid goal".

Wilson began playing with the Melbourne Cricket Club in the 1890–91 season. He played two premiership matches early in the season, against Port Melbourne and Richmond, but scored only 13 runs in two innings and was not called upon to bowl. He did not play in another senior premiership game until the next season. In a match against Wesley College in March 1891, he played a high quality innings, scoring 121 runs. Several weeks later, while playing for MCC's seconds against South Melbourne's seconds, he took 13 wickets for 61 runs. The Tasmanian noted that it was pity he had not played that well earlier in the season, or he probably would have secured a permanent place in the first XI.

Breaking through

By the 1891 football season, Wilson was considered one of the best players in Melbourne's team. In June 1891, he was named among Melbourne's best players in a win over St Kilda and was one of four Melbourne players to represent Victoria in an intercolonial match against South Australia. While reviewing the round 15 match between Melbourne and Geelong, Markwell wrote that Wilson was a particular crowd favourite due to his fair play. Wilson kicked a goal during the round 17 match against South Melbourne and was noted as being part of "a talented combination of followers" for Melbourne. In his review of the 1891 season, Follower listed Wilson among Melbourne's followers who had "worthily held their own" throughout the year.

After a disappointing initial season for the MCC, Wilson's 1891–92 season was much more productive. A regular in the firsts, he was described as batting "soundly and freely" in a match against Carlton and made a "highly spoken of performance" against South Melbourne, where he scored 47 runs and was Melbourne's leading wicket-taker with three. Wilson played a total of four premiership matches for Melbourne that season and also represented them against Lord Sheffield's touring English XI. In that match Wilson took the wickets of George Bean, George Lohmann and William Attewell, all Test cricketers. In the final match of the Victorian cricket season, to decide the pennant between Melbourne and South Melbourne, Wilson was selected for MCC, but did not get a chance to bat and only bowled four overs in a weather-affected match that ended in a draw—the premiership defaulted to South Melbourne because they had a slightly higher average during the season.

Wilson was again one of Melbourne's better players for the 1892 football season. In a round 14 match against Fitzroy, Wilson kicked three of the Redlegs' six goals in a one-goal victory. Two weeks later, he was described as "performing meritoriously" in a game where he also kicked a goal. In the third-last game of the season, Melbourne drew a match away to a poor Collingwood team. Markwell wrote in The Australasian that Wilson and Dolly Christy, who had both missed the match, were sorely missed. Melbourne finished the season in fourth position on the ladder, their highest finish since 1886, though Markwell thought the result was disappointing when considering the calibre of players the club had recruited. He named Wilson as one of the team's "most deserving" players for the year.