Adam Heuskes (1999 - 2000)

[Grimreepah]

Trade (http://www.lions.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5085/newsid/103664/default.aspx)

1998: Adam Heuskes from Port Adelaide for draft selection 5 (Michael Stevens)

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6903/heuskes1.jpg

Merrett-Murray Medal results:

1999: =5th (50 votes)
2000: 17th (16 votes)

[Grimreepah]

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Heuskes)

Adam Heuskes (born 20 March 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League most remembered for his on field flamboyance and controversial off-field behaviour, which twice resulted in rape allegations.

Recruited from SANFL club Norwood, Heuskes made his AFL debut in 1994 with the Sydney Swans and immediately attracted attention in the media and the football world for his outrageous hairstylings. He was traded to the Port Adelaide Power in 1997, a decision which the Swans later regretted. His attacking flair as a defender set up numerous goals.

For the 1999 season, Heuskes moved up to play with the Brisbane Lions, where he was a solid contributor during the Lions' 1999 finals campaign. At the end of 2000 his career was over after playing 14 games during the season.

http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/4697/adamheuskes.jpg

Career statistics (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/A/Adam_Heuskes.html)

[ZoBlitz]

It's a sad reflection of my memories of Heuskes that when this thread popped up my first reaction was "what's he been charged with?".

Had an excellent year in 1999 though.

[Grimreepah]

Trivia (http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Sports/Port-Adelaide-Power-19989.html)

1997 saw the Power get their first representative in the All Australian team. Who was that player?

Adam Heuskes. The controversial Heuskes was named on a back flank. He was later traded to Brisbane before retiring from the AFL in his mid 20s.

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3035/heuskes.jpg

[Grimreepah]

I’ve lost my appetite for football: Heuskes (http://www.afana.com/afl/johnson/afl_jl_000806.html)

Heuskes Thursday night ended his silence over his shock decision to retire from AFL football. In a recorded interview for Channel Seven’s The Game, Heuskes said he had lost his passion for football and wanted to pursue other interests. Heuskes said it was boredom that finally drove him away from football, denying rumors of a sex change and a rift with Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews. Heuskes, 24, walked out of the Lions last Monday and moved home to South Australia, vowing never to return to the game.

The Lions, who first became aware of Heuskes’ exit when he failed to turn up for a massage session last Monday morning and told of his decision by telephone, sent their football manager Graeme Allan and close friend Stefan Carey to meet Heuskes on Tuesday, but failed to persuade him to change his mind. “I’ve lost the passion and I've lost the drive,” Heuskes told his manager and former Sydney teammate Troy Gray in the interview.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4751/heuskes2.jpg

[Grimreepah]

March 19, 2004 (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199373958.html)

Two current AFL players, including Port Adelaide's Peter Burgoyne and a Sydney player, reached an out-of-court settlement with a woman who had made sexual assault allegations against them in 2000.

3 May , 2004 (http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1100400.htm)

The Australian Football League is once again having to defend itself over its handling of rape allegations against its players.

An Australian woman has accused former AFL player, Adam Heuskes, of raping her in a London hotel room, while four of his then Brisbane Lions teammates watched on. The woman claims the incident happened in October 1999, when the club was on an end of season trip.

Ten months later, in an unrelated incident, Heuskes faced a charge of raping another woman outside an Adelaide nightclub.

May 04, 2004 (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-94197895.html)

Former AFL player ADAM HEUSKES has denied allegations he was involved in two separate rapes.

ABC's Four Corners program last night aired claims by an unnamed Australian woman that HEUSKES raped her in a London hotel room in 1999, during an end-of-season trip with the Brisbane Lions.

Scotland Yard investigated the matter, but no charges were laid.

[Rory]

It's a sad reflection of my memories of Heuskes that when this thread popped up my first reaction was "what's he been charged with?".

Had an excellent year in 1999 though.

This is the exact thought process than ran through my head when I saw this thread popped up scrolling down the page.

It's amazing to think you guys gave up pick 5 for Heuskes, though we blew it on Michael Stevens :o. Heuskes was a good player but in this day and age a player of his caliber would in no way demand a top 5 pick. How things have changed.

[Grimreepah]

This is the exact thought process than ran through my head when I saw this thread popped up scrolling down the page.

It's amazing to think you guys gave up pick 5 for Heuskes, though we blew it on Michael Stevens :o. Heuskes was a good player but in this day and age a player of his caliber would in no way demand a top 5 pick. How things have changed.

Heuskes was a 22 year old that had been All Australian the previous year. I'm not 'amazed' by the trade to be honest.

These days fans are obsessed with youth and clubs tend to play it safe, so maybe it wouldn't happen now, but value for value I don't think the trade was that bad. It's not like Heuskes was a plodder.