People who tried a VFL/AFL career before becoming famous for something totally different

[BigRex]

Hi all,

I am doing some research on people who tried a VFL/AFL career before becoming famous for something totally different.

I was wondering if you knew of any other people that played for Under 19’s and Reserves teams over the years (mainly 1950’s to 2010’s) that went onto become far better known for doing something totally different other than playing VFL football in the 2nds and 3rds.

So far, I have these, from all clubs…

VFL Seniors:

Simon O’Donnell (cricket), St.Kilda 1982-83, 24 games
Max Walker (cricket), Melbourne, 1967-72, 85 games
Jamie Siddons (cricket), Sydney 1984, 2 games
Don Chipp (politician), Fitzroy 1947, 3 games
Lindsay Fox (trucking businessman), St.K 1959-1961, 20 games
Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald (radio host), Sydney/Adelaide, 1999-2002, 18 games
Bill Lang (boxer), Richmond, 1908-09, 14 games

Reserves:

Mick Malone (cricket), South Melbourne, 1977
Shane Warne (cricket), St.Kilda, 1988, 1 game and a full season in Saints U19’s.
Dennis Cometti (football commentator), Footscray, 1971, 4 games
Graeme Richmond (Richmond administrator), Richmond, 1952-53
Mike Willesee (TV host), South Melbourne, 1964, 8 games
George Pell (Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church), Richmond, 1959
Tony Wilson (author), Hawthorn, 1990-92
Brad Hodge (cricket), Melbourne, 1994
James Tomkins (Oarsome Foursome Rower), Melbourne, 1988
Colin Ridgway (Dallas Cowboys NFL 1965), Carl, 1955
Rodney Hogg (cricket), Collingwood, 1970
Geoff Walsh (Collingwood General Manager), Collingwood, 1973-75
David Morgan (former CEO of Westpac), Richmond, 1967

Under 19’s:

Brad Robinson (Australian Crawl) Hawthorn, 1976
Lindsay Gaze (basketball), Melbourne, 1955
Jamie Cox (cricket), Essendon 1987
Ray “Slug” Jordon (football commentator & coach), Richmond, 1953-55
Sam Pang (comedian and TV host), Coll, 1991, 6 games
Richard Pratt (businessman, Visy owner), Carlton, 1953 (won 1953 Morrish Medal)
Jeff Browne (Former Head of Channel 9 & lawyer), Collingwood, 1972
David Buttifant (Collingwood’s sport science director), Collingwood, 1983. David also played 2 games for Richmond seniors in 1987

Others:

AFL boss Gil McLachlan once trailed with Carlton and was on their supplementary list in 1996-97.

Eddie McGuire once trailed with Nth Melbourne U-19’s in 1982.

Vance Joy (aka James Keogh) played for Coburg in the VFL, 2008-09.

Richard di Natale played for Coburg & Oakleigh in the VFA, 1988-1994.

Merv Hughes, once trailed with Geelong U19’s in 1979 & played for Werribee in the VFA, 1978-82, 95 games.

Alex Carey captained & won GWS’s B & F the year before they joined the AFL.

Pat Cash (Pat’s dad played senior football for Hawthorn in 1951–55) was a gun junior forward.

Lleyton Hewitt (Lleyton’s dad Glynn played for Rich reserves in 1973-74, got a flag in 73, his uncle Darryl played for St.K seniors in 1981-82) was a decent junior footballer.

David Boon, Patty Mills & Ricky Ponting were also very good junior footballers.

Mills was invited to train with the Sydney Swans 2004 but Mills declined.

Can you think of any others?

Kind regards,

KP (BigRex)

 

[PhatBoy]

..
Mark Jackson was an advertising phenomenon for a brief moment in the US as well as a very very poor actor

 

[eggtardo]

Good list.
Nick Jewell - cricket, maybe one game for the tigers?
(Edit as didn't read the above list properly).

 

[kane249]

..
Mark Jackson was an advertising phenomenon for a brief moment in the US as well as a very very poor actor

What are you talking about, Signal One was a cinematic master piece

 

[Kwality]

1963 Geelong premiership member John Watts only spent a couple of years at Geelong but had a stellar footy career at home in WA & in Tas, 4 flags in all.
Post footy he had a very successful radio career dominating breakfast radio in Perth .... at the height of the success in the early 1980s and they ended up becoming the only Breakfast Radio Program in Australia to ever hold more than 50% of the population in ratings. This record still stands today.

Vale John K Watts: the best ever... but could he play football?

As one of the great Perth radio presenters of all time, JK Watts often sang and carried on about how, as a footballer, he was "the best ever".

www.smh.com.au

David Boon, Patty Mills & Ricky Ponting were also very good junior footballers.

As was 'Tubby' Taylor. played Teal Cup (U18*s national series)
Karl Langdon opened the fast bowling (u19*s) for WA & Peter Sumich toured England with the Aus Junior* team in 1987 after making his footy debut for Sth Freo in 1986. Both played in the 1992 Eagles flag.

* not sure of the age

(Lleyton’s dad Glynn played for Rich reserves in 1973-74, got a flag in 73, his uncle Darryl played for St.K seniors in 1981-82)

Bit of SANFL footy too (does it count?). Glynn & Darryl played more than 250 games at home, & their father Max 100+.

Mick Malone (cricket), South Melbourne, 1977

Mick didnt ever come over, couldnt get a clearance (got 5 from CHF in a scratch match for South Melb)
Played in the Subi 73 flag with former AFL Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick & in summer the same pair opened the fast bowling for Scarboro

Dennis Cometti (football commentator), Footscray, 1971, 4 games
Big Den off field was a DJ & played 38 games debuting in 1967 with West Perth before he came East

He commenced his media career as radio announcer in Perth, Western Australia, in 1968 as a Top 40 disc jockey at radio station 6KY. Over the following five years he worked as an announcer on 6PM, 3DB (Melbourne) and 6PR, again in Perth.

He broadcast his first football match – a state game between Western Australia and Victoria at Subiaco Oval – in 1971. Melbourne station 3KZ needed a caller and due to a quirk of fate Cometti volunteered to sit alongside Ian Major.

He joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1972 where he concentrated exclusively on sport. He broadcast his first Test match in 1973 (at 23 the youngest in ABC history)

Cometti also coached & Derek Kickett, Dean Laidley & Darren Bewick went on to success in the AFL.

 

[Kwality]

Colin Ridgway (Dallas Cowboys NFL 1965), Carl, 1955

Darren Bennett

Australian Football - Darren Bennett - Player Bio

australianfootball.com

As an Australian rules footballer, he played for East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) between 1982 and 1987 and then in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the West Coast Eagles and the Melbourne Football Club. He was most successful at Melbourne, where he was named as one of the club's 150 Heroes of the last 150 years, kicking 208 goals from just 74 games for the club.

As an American football player, following a three club career in the National Football League he is regarded as one of the greatest players of the 1990s and a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.[1]

This combination made him notable as arguably the most successful of the Australian sportsmen linked to professional American Football in history.

Darren Bennett (football player) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Ron The Bear]

Laurie Morgan played for Fitzroy in the 1930's and won two gold medals at the Rome Olympics in equestrian.

Graeme Sampieri was one of the big bookmakers and played Reserves & U19's for Hawthorn.

 

[dumb]

Anthony Koutoufides dipped his toes into the AFL before setting up Souvlaki Hut

 

[Count Zero]

Justin Madden went on to hold many ministerial positions in the Victorian state government.

 

[JT_the_Man]

David Boon, Patty Mills & Ricky Ponting were also very good junior footballers.

Ben Simmons probably would’ve been a top 5 pick if he didn’t choose basketball.

 

[eggtardo]

Trent Cotchin - Whilst a notable career as a 2x premiership captain is now arguably more famous as the husband of Brooke

 

[Gough]

Keith Miller played for Richmond and shagged Princess Margaret as well as being a decent cricketer.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

Well done to the OP, 10 years of research - that's dedication!

 

[mightymouse75]

George Pell Richmond. Wtf

 

[Gough]

Laurie Morgan played for Fitzroy in the 1930's and won two gold medals at the Rome Olympics in equestrian.

Graeme Sampieri was one of the big bookmakers and played Reserves & U19's for Hawthorn.

Didn't Ronnie Biggs' son win the goal kicking for Fitzroy u19s one year?

 

[The Final Word]

It's written up that Travis Fimmel, born in Echuca, had a crack with St Kilda but broke his leg. Hard to find how close or good he was.

I'd add Nathan Chapman to the list, high draft pick, played less than 100 games but his company Prokick is pretty much the pathway to the NFL for aspiring Aussie punters.

 

[Gough]

Kim Hughes played underage and reserves for Claremont.

 

[kranky al]

yeah sam newman tried a footy career before becoming an irrelevant racist pos

 

[Gough]

Vic Richardson's career is always hard to beat Captained Australia at cricket, represented both state and country at baseball, district lacrosse player, state champion tennis player, three time premiership player and captain coach of Sturt and he won the 1920 Magarey medal.

 

[qman]

I spoke to Pat Cashs junior footy coach many, many moons ago and from what he said, Cashs footy ability was greatly exagerrated over the years. I also remember seeing him on a handball competition once, I think him and Warney were the celeb handballers, anyway Cash couldnt handball to save himself.

 

[Chaisa]

Tom Trobjevic was in Sydney's Academy before choosing NRL, ditto Kalyn Ponga with Brisbane.

 

[Burton89onegoal]

I had thought Harry Beitzel played VFL football, but apparently an umpire only - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Beitzel

If we're including SANFL, Ken McGregor (not the Crows footballer from 10 years ago, although incidentally that one became a print journalist) should be included as he played Davis Cup for Australia, as well as State Football for South Australia (Eric Freeman played SANFL for Port, and cricket for Australia).

Stephen Patterson played SANFL for Norwood, then for Collingwood....then was a Mayor back in Adelaide, and is now a Minister in SA Liberal Govt.

 

[FrustratedTiger]

Shane Warne played some U19 for the Saints didn't he?

 

[General Soreness]

Ray Groom: 92 games for Melbourne 1963-8 (didn't play in the '64 GF); Tasmanian Premier, 1992-6. Also served in the Fraser Ministry in two positions but left Federal politics in '84.

 

[Toump Ass]

Was reading about a female PM in a European country whose husband is an ex-AFL player who became a (very) successful businessman. Can't remember the name of either sorry. Maybe someone else can help.