Bill Orchard was chosen to represent Australia before he made his debut for the Victorian state team. He was chosen for the 1952 Olympics after helping his club side, Olympic, win the state title and Victoria to the National Championships. Orchard played at two Olympic Games although the Australian team was large outclassed and managed only a solitary victory during their two campaigns. He retired from the national team after the Melbourne Games having made 50 appearances for Australia.
Orchard was a Fulbright Scholar and studied in the United States and the United Kingdom before returning home to Australia where he became one of the country’s most eminent psychiatrists. He practiced for over 50 years specialising in bipolar disorders and Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.