Wallace Francis Buttsworth (21 January 1917 â 22 May 2002) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Wally had two younger brothers Fred and Brian Buttsworth. Fred Buttsworth was also a cricketer and footballer and winner of the 1951 Sandover Medal. Brian Buttsworth played for West Perth Football Club. Their father, Frederick Richard Buttsworth, was himself a first-class cricketer, playing for Western Australia in the 1920s.
Before he joined Essendon, Buttsworth played for the West Perth Football Club.
A defender, Buttsworth was a best and fairest winner for Essendon on three occasions and played in two VFL premiership teams inn 1942 and 1946. He is the centre half-back in Essendon's 'Team of the Century'. He was broadly considered best on ground in the club's one point 1947 grand final loss against , taking 25 marks at centre half-back for the game.
He represented Western Australia in two first-class cricket matches.
In 2002 an Essendon panel ranked him at 12 in their Champions of Essendon list of the 25 greatest players ever to have played for Essendon.