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

[Prestigerrycomo]

Caused grief on the 1948 England tour, those who'd served in the war wanted to play for fun while Bradman, who didn't serve was treating the series as a matter of life and death.

Yeah I read about that too, Supposedly during the second test Bradman (who was discharged from the Army during WW2) said "I'm 40 and I can do my full day's work in the field."

Miller reportedly snapped "So would I—if I had fibrosis"

 

[emuboy]

One that went the other way around. In the late 1980s the Sydney Swans had an Under 19's player named Mark McCormack, who had previously been a team member of the popular variety show Young Talent Time in 1982-1983 aged 11-13. Mark made his YTT debut alongside a girl about the same age by the name of Danielle Minogue.

 

[steelebottom22]

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

He is still relevant because you are still talking about him. He is not racist he just doesn't follow the herd

 

[Interceptor]

Gary Sweet played some reserves footy for Glenelg in the 80s prior to his acting career.

 

[kranky al]

He is still relevant because you are still talking about him. He is not racist he just doesn't follow the herd

rugged individual eh?

 

[steelebottom22]

rugged individual eh?

Nah more of a carpet.man.myself

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Israel Folau played for GWS before going on to play for the Wallabies, then becoming an important educator on the dangers of homosexuality.

 

[Scotland]

Most of the nominations ITT are sportsmen who played multiple sports. Playing cricket and footy was common in the amateur era. Chances are if you are good enough to play one sport an elite level then you are more than handy at other sports you played. Brendon McCullum started over Dan Carter in schoolboys rugby. AB de Villiers can do pretty much anything. Etc.

This definitely needs repeating: Graeme Richmond (Richmond administrator), Richmond, 1952-53

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Will langfords dad, Chris (some may remember one of the best full backs ever) while not a nobody player, and not famous, is reportedly a billionaire

Nah not even close. He’s loaded, and co-runs a property fund which controls $1b in assets, but that’s very different to being a billionaire.

You need about $400m to make the AFR Rich List and he’s not on that.

In terms of the richest it was by far Richard Pratt, who won a Morrish Medal, so you’d think he could’ve played senior VFL footy comfortably. He quit footy though.

 

[kranky al]

He is still relevant because you are still talking about him. He is not racist he just doesn't follow the herd

you are old enough to know that the whole “any attention is better than no attention“

thing just makes you look a little needy - not relevant sweetie

needy.....

 

[Collingwood 4 eternity]

Matthew Richardson went on to become famous for eating a piece of chicken dipped in sauce

 

[Atomboy]

Matthew Richardson went on to become famous for eating a piece of chicken dipped in sauce

He is also wearing a hat so doubling down on the insanity.

 

[megadeth92]

i was a mate of Darren Bennett's younger brother in Perth in the mid-80s. I felt a bit sorry for him as he admired his brother but was frustrated at living in his brother's shadow as he (the younger brother) wasn't really good at sport. He had this hilarious routine of calling someone a dickhead, rubbing his neck up and down. and then spitting on the ground - classic high-school humour and banter, i guess you had to be there.

 

[megadeth92]

He played a few games for West Perth too

He coached them from 1982-84 and often played players out of position, got it wrong and then switched them to their normal positions in the second-half.

 

[Post padding]

Most of the nominations ITT are sportsmen who played multiple sports. Playing cricket and footy was common in the amateur era. Chances are if you are good enough to play one sport an elite level then you are more than handy at other sports you played. Brendon McCullum started over Dan Carter in schoolboys rugby. AB de Villiers can do pretty much anything. Etc.

This definitely needs repeating: Graeme Richmond (Richmond administrator), Richmond, 1952-53

The AB stories are urban myth

 

[Kwality]

Geoff Marsh also played senior football for South Fremantle as well before you playing for Australia.

Also, Mitch Marsh and Brad Sheppard are cousins aren’t they?


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As did Graeme Wood, more games than Swampy though for East Freo.

 

[Kwality]

Terry Gale made his money as a golfer chalking up 72 tournament wins in Asia, on the European tour, & locally, then won again on the Seniors.
Was a fine footballer at school, gave cricket a shake knocking on the door for WA in the Sheffield Shield before turning to professional golf.

His son played AFL for Freo.

 

[Kwality]

i was a mate of Darren Bennett's younger brother in Perth in the mid-80s. I felt a bit sorry for him as he admired his brother but was frustrated at living in his brother's shadow as he (the younger brother) wasn't really good at sport. He had this hilarious routine of calling someone a dickhead, rubbing his neck up and down. and then spitting on the ground - classic high-school humour and banter, i guess you had to be there.

Guess he didnt make it in stand up?

 

[Gough]

Terry Gale made his money as a golfer chalking up 72 tournament wins in Asia, on the European tour, & locally, then won again on the Seniors.
Was a fine footballer at school, gave cricket a shake knocking on the door for WA in the Sheffield Shield before turning to professional golf.

His son played AFL for Freo.

One of the many gripes over pay that cricketers in the 70s had came from Rod Marsh who was looking at the sort of money his brother was earning as a golfer and comparing it unfavourably to his own renumeration.

 

[BigRex]

Brett Stephens (Fitzroy 133 games 1987-93) was arguably more famous as Pete Sampras's trainer. (Can't get a fix on the years as yet.)

After his retirement, Brett Stephens became a sports coach in both the mental and physical training sectors, fitness coaching Pete Sampras, Mark Philippoussis and his eventual wife, Zimbabwean tennis player Cara Black as well as pro golfers and surfers.

 

[Count Zero]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned but Crows former coach, Graham Cornes, went on to become a used car salesman

 

[BigRex]

I could be wrong, but didn't that Candyman guy (the aussie equivalent of Dan Bilzerian) make the North Melbourne senior list?

Travis Martin-Beynon (born in Australia March 6, 1972) is the current business owner and Managing Director of Free Choice Australia, the number one leading retail tobacconist franchise with over 304 stores (272 franchise and 32 Company owned) plus a vending operation with more than 1300 machines nationwide.

Do you remember charismatic Dan Bilzerian, who is also known as a King of Instagram? Seems like there is another man willing to take his place, status and millions of followers away.

Meet Travers Beynon – an Australian ‘Candyman’ and FreeChoice tobacco empire heir.

‘Candyman’ is a nickname he has chosen himself. Even his home is called Candy Shop Mansion.

Travers was born to an owner and a founder of a huge tobacco empire.

Well-raised and educated he had no boundaries in choosing a career, but suddenly Travers went in for football.

Beynon used to be an Aussie Rules footballer and started his career at Southport Sharks Football Club on the Gold Coast.

He had a standout 1989 Teal Cup carnival and was drafted into the North Melbourne as pick #4 in the 1989 pre-season AFL draft and did a pre-season at North Melbourne but suffered a debilitating back injury and didn't play any senior games.

He spent 1990 on the North Melbourne list and was traded to the Brisbane Bears in 1991 where he also didn't play any senior games.

 

[BigRex]

Craig Ellis from the Bulldogs is now a multi millionaire in swimwear (Bikini something or other).

Craig Ellis (Footscray & Melbourne, 1994-2002, 122 games). Cult Australian bikini brand Triangl was founded in 2012 by Erin Deering and Craig Ellis and Ms Deering was ranked on last year's Rich List with an estimated worth of $35 million.

 

[BigRex]

Mitch Marsh played in the WA under 18s side at Full forward.
Along side Nic Nat and Brad Shepard


Does Todd Viney’s tennis coaching career count ?

Mitch Marsh played for Western Australia at the 2008 AFL Under 18 Championships at full forward alongside Nic Naitanui, Chris Yarran, Stephen Hill, Michael Walters, Daniel Rich, Mitch Duncan, Neville Jetta, Anthony Morabito, Clancee Pearce, Matt de Boer and cousin Brad Sheppard.

 

[BigRex]

Geoff Marsh also played senior football for South Fremantle as well before you playing for Australia.

Also, Mitch Marsh and Brad Sheppard are cousins aren’t they?


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Geoff Marsh played 5 senior games for South Fremantle in the WAFL in 1978. He made his first-class cricket debut for WA as a 19-year-old in the 1977–1978 Sheffield Shield season.