when he tried to join the First Australian Imperial Force to fight in World War I. He was posted to Maryborough High School, and it was in the rural cricket competition that he began to gain attention. In 1920 and 1921, he accumulated 1,335 runs at average of 225.83 in the local competition. When the England cricket team toured Australia in 1920–21, Woodfull played for a Ballarat XV, and scored 50 and 1. A teaching transfer in 1921 saw him return to Melbourne, where the Victorian selectors trialled him in Second XI fixtures during the 1921–22 season. In two matches against South Australia and New South Wales, he registered unbeaten scores of 186 and 227 respectively. At the time, Victoria had so much depth that their Second XI was of comparable strength to the first-choice teams from other states. In early 1922, he made his Sheffield Shield debut against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval. He batted at No. 8 and made an unbeaten 22. Batting at No. 7 in his second match against Western Australia, Woodfull registered his maiden first-class century with 153. He was run out in his second and final innings of his debut first-class season, so he was yet to be dismissed by a bowler. Both matches were won by an innings, part of a dominant summer for the Victorians. During this time, he also studied for an arts degree at night in addition to his post at Williamstown High School. The following season, Woodfull was promoted to open and his consistent performances in all conditions meant that he was to play there for the rest of his career. Between 1922 and 1926, he accumulated over 3,000 first-class runs at an average of 67. In the first match of the 1922–23 season, Woodfull scored 74 run out and four not out as Victoria scraped past the Marylebone Cricket Club by two wickets. The next match against New South Wales was Woodfull's first against Victoria's arch-rivals. Woodfull made 47 in the first innings before being dismissed by Test leg spinner Arthur Mailey. After exactly 300 first-class runs, a bowler had dismissed him for the first time. He then made an unbeaten 84 to steer his team to a seven-wicket victory. He showed a liking for the South Australian bowlers, scoring 0, 115, 123 and 94 not out as Victoria won both of their matches against the aforementioned