People who tried a VFL/AFL career before becoming famous for something totally different #2
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Alex Ishchenko has been the Licensing & Merchandise Director at The Wiggles since July 2013.
The Russian Wiggle?
If you could think of two things less likely to be mentioned in the same sentence it might well be foundation Eagles ruckman Alex Ishchenko and the “Wiggles”.
The rugged 201cm enforcer known as ‘Russian” and the popular children’s entertainment group? It just doesn’t work. But it does.
Ishchenko is actually of Ukrainian ancestry despite his nickname.
Michael 'Mick' Maguire played 39 games for Richmond (1910-1912), 19 for Melbourne (1912 to 1914) and 10 for Collingwood 1918.
He holds the record as the youngest player to have played senior football at Richmond, being only 15 years and 328 days old upon debut in Round 1 of the 1910 season. Despite this, he was the club's leading goal kicker in his debut year. He also gained some notoriety as a welterweight boxer between 1912 and 1915.
Maguire was a well-known publican in Melbourne, operating the Bull and Mouth Hotel in Melbourne, and after 1932, the Bellevue Hotel in Brisbane,
which accommodated the English Cricket Team during the Fourth Test of the Bodyline Series. Maguire served in the British Army in World War Two and died in England in 1950.
He was father to five daughters, sometimes known as "the fabulous Maguires." Two daughters married members of the English nobility (including a son of Lord Beaverbrook) and Mary Maguire was briefly a Hollywood and British film actress in the late 1930s, appearing in one film alongside Ronald Reagan.
He holds the record as the youngest player to have played senior football at Richmond, being only 15 years and 328 days old upon debut in Round 1 of the 1910 season. Despite this, he was the club's leading goal kicker in his debut year. He also gained some notoriety as a welterweight boxer between 1912 and 1915.
Maguire was a well-known publican in Melbourne, operating the Bull and Mouth Hotel in Melbourne, and after 1932, the Bellevue Hotel in Brisbane,
which accommodated the English Cricket Team during the Fourth Test of the Bodyline Series. Maguire served in the British Army in World War Two and died in England in 1950.
He was father to five daughters, sometimes known as "the fabulous Maguires." Two daughters married members of the English nobility (including a son of Lord Beaverbrook) and Mary Maguire was briefly a Hollywood and British film actress in the late 1930s, appearing in one film alongside Ronald Reagan.
scottishfiction
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what a life.
For you NBL fans out there, Bill Mildenhall would be better known for his career as a referee in the NBL after playing for St Kilda in the 70’s
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As well as Rodney Hogg who played 3 reserves games and 8 under 19's games for Collingwood in 1970, the great Collingwood and Australian test cricketer Jack Ryder played a season of footy in 1910 for Collingwood Districts who were Collingwood's reserves team back then. He played 18 games and topped the goalkicking with 42 goals.
On the field he looked like a big, dumb lumbering ruckman but I saw him interviewed on the Sunday Footy show in the mid 90s when he was playing for North , and he was a very bright, articulate and well-spoken man.
Mark Sodestrom (Soders the C7 boundary rider in Adelaide) played 120 odd SANFL games.
Darren Klemm (former HBF Claremont WAFL) has been Commissioner for Department of Emergency Services in WA for about six years.
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Don's brother James was a reasonable first class cricketer for SA and very good footballer in the 1980s for Norwood.
He was drafted first by Footscray (stayed in SA) and then Collingwood (injury ended his time there).
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Another St Kilda player, George Young( sorry if he's on OP's list but I didn't spot him), played Shield cricket as a batsman, including 2 centuries, while still playing for Subiaco in the WAFL before his move to Melbourne. In the WAFL section, Derek Chadwick played over 200 games for East Perth in the WANFL as well as several interstate games for WA .He also opened the batting for WA in Sheffield Shield for several seasons, most notably with Colin Milburn during the Englishman's stint with WA. Famously the pair put on an opening stand over 300 in November 1968. Milburn smashed the Queensland attack all over the Gabba for 243- Chaddy didn't quite get to the hundred. His East Perth team mate Ken Macauley,who also played close to 200 games and won the Tassie Medal at the 1972 Interstate carnival also played a few Shield games.
The Airing of Grievances
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Seeing Des Hoare's name reminds me that Keith Slater also played a single Test in that Australia / West Indies series 1960/61 as well as being a stalwart all-rounder for WA for several seasons. He was a much more notable WANFL player, playing a crucial role in Swan Districts triple premierships in the early 1960s before a brief less succesful stint as playing coach at Subiaco. Another who was a regular at interstate level in both sports.
Dad was a gun footballer for Perth in the 60s.
yyou
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And not Russian, but Ukrainian in fact (dad's side. I never met his mum who i believe was Anglo)
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Not many come to mind. Simon O'Donnell played a few games for St.Kilda but became famous as a ODI international allrounder. Now strangely he probably more famous for horse racing industry. I think he was fighting cancer at one point in his cricketing career. Did play a couple of Tests for Australia on 1985 Ashes tour but really was not good enough for Test cricket but was wonderful ODI player for Australia in the mid to late 80's.
I do not remember Alex Carey on GWS list but I suspect he played a few pre-season games so he obviously tried out footy but he now a professional cricketer and probably next Test keeper when Tim Paine retires.
I do not remember Alex Carey on GWS list but I suspect he played a few pre-season games so he obviously tried out footy but he now a professional cricketer and probably next Test keeper when Tim Paine retires.
Carey was GWS first captain wasn't he?
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