Has Anyone Debuted In A Grand-Final?

[BLPC08]

In the last 28 seasons there has been one finals debutant (Andrew Hooper). It's quite amazing stat, considering it was a fairly common thing in the years prior to 1986.

Whatever happened to Cooke from the 1975 R/UP team?

 

[Blues177]

Ok I went back and reread his wiki and australianfootall.com page and they do use the word first full game, not debut. Thanks Ron.

Maybe over the years I have hear commentators use the same phrase rather than debut and thought it was his first game. I guess he was 19th or 20th man for those 2 games in the days before interchange. Probably didn't even get a run in his first game looking at his stats.

Any Carlton fans remember the circumstances he came into the GF side??

Catoggio said that in his first game against Collingwood he came on in the last quarter with only a few minutes left of the game to play. In his second game against South Melbourne he came on in the last quarter and kicked his first goal in senior footy.
He was selected to play in the '73 Grand final because other Carlton midfielders were unavailable; Barry Armstrong come down with appendicitis a few days before the game and Trevor Keogh copped a hamstring injury after playing in the second semi.

 

[ioppolo]

Casey green in 2005 is the only one close that comes to mind; late replacement for one of the selwoods, but not sure if he was a first gamer

51st game I'm pretty sure.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Pretty sure Mark Yeates made his debut in a preliminary final against Collingwood out at Waverly in either 1980 or 1981

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

In 1920, Bill James played his debut game in a winning grand final for Richmond. He even kicked a goal.

This would end up being the only VFL game of his career.He's the only player in history to play his only game in a grand final.

He was shot in the foot in a rabbit hunting in the offseason, which is the reason for him not playing again.

Take that over Jack Watts career any day.

 

[OneEyedHawk]

83 Semi v North,kicked 5

82' Semi-Final.

 

[kangars]

51st game I'm pretty sure.

Yeah he played a fair few games before the grand final however he was very lucky to get in the team. I think he played every game in 2003 and then the first few of 2004 before being suspended and not returning to the side for the round 22 match of 2005 and then was dropped again. He then didnt play any WAFL footy or anything for four weeks but trained hard enough and was lucky enough to get selected for the big one due to a couple of players being injured. He also played a tagging role on O Keefe and got named in the Eagles best. Ive been lucky enough to play country footy with him this year and hes a top bloke!

 

[hilly]

Think Robert Harvey would trade his career for that?
I would if I were him.

I wouldn't. Not even for a second.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Pretty sure Mark Yeates made his debut in a preliminary final against Collingwood out at Waverly in either 1980 or 1981

2nd game.

32 players debuted in a final
59 made their finals debut in their 2nd game
44...3rd game
66...4th game
62...5th game

 

[wazwallaby]

Hi all,

I was curious as to anyone in the VFL/AFL history has made the debut in a Grand-Final (Home & Away or Pre-Season competition)?

If not, whats the biggest final someone has made a debut?
Has anyone debuted in a Preliminary Final and then won the flag in their second game of football?

I remember a Brisbane player won one in his 4th game or something like that and Blair from the Pies did something similar but with a few more games.
I think both debuted during the Home & Away season.

Cheers,
Tigerland55.

Player|Year|Opp|Res|Games|Club(s)|Career
\Prout, Harry|1908|Ca|L|29|Es|1908-1910
\James, Billy R.|1920|Co|W|1|Ri|1920
\Rawle, George|1923|Fi|W|19|Es|1923-1925
\Vine, Fred|1926|Co|W|105|Me|1926-1934
\Batchelor, Keith|1952|Ge|L|42|Co,NM|1952-1957

Um, Hi there, in the 60s n 70s I grew up in the northern suburbs of sydney and my next door neighbour was Keith Batchelor. That was in an era when VFL meant hardly anything to Sydney-siders. Keith was a wonderful n gentle man and I am still friends with his kids today. He had - he passed away about 10 yrs ago - real magpie pedigree. His dad played for the pies and one of his uncles played in 2 of the 4 winning grand finals of The Machine. An older relative played for the Brittanias, a Collingwood precursor club. Keith's family lived 2 streets away from Vic Park. In '52 he debuted at fullback, aged 21. Interestingly, a year later in the '53 grand final v The Cats he played full forward and kicked the highest bag of the day, 4 goals in a winning grand final. Not bad. Every kiddie who lived in our little cul-de-sac street in northern sydney has been a Pies fans ever since.

 

[Oscarman]

I really doubt we will ever see this happen in the modern game

And yet here we are............

 

[Marcel Proust]

You know Richmond are in the finals when they start asking questions in regards to 'the finals'

 

[Mofra]

At least with Toby Greene playing Marlion will finally lose that superfluous 'i' in his first name.