Players who have changed their names

[Bomber Spirit]

Kristian Anning at North Melbourne in the early 1990s changed his name to Kristian Bardsley when he went to St Kilda.
Sanford Wheeler, Swans cult hero during the days of the Great Losing Streak of the early 1990s, was originally Matthew Wheeler.

Are there any other players who have changed their name during their playing career?

 

[Dogwatcher]

I can't offer you a response to either of those questions, but could you please explain the circumstances behind Bardsley and wheeler changing their names?

 

[roostersgal4eva]

didnt garry hocking change his name to wiskers by default for sponsorship publicity

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Originally posted by roostersgal4eva
didnt garry hocking change his name to wiskers by default for sponsorship publicity

You're right, he did. Forgot about that. Then he changed it back again.
The AFL refused to recognise it and continued to publish his name as Garry Hocking in the Record that week.

As for how or why the players changed their names as Dogwatcher asked, that's slipped my memory too. In the case of Wheeler, it may have been that he originally used his first name and changed to his middle name or the other way round; but for Anning/Bardsley he must have gone to the Deed Poll office or something like that.

 

[pivotal]

Originally posted by roostersgal4eva
didnt garry hocking change his name to wiskers by default for sponsorship publicity

Yes he did.

Geelong copped alot of flak for that effort, but the club was desperate for cash at the time. Whiskers loved all the publicity, it even got a run on CNN!

 

[Brad Goodman]

The Anning/Bardsley name-change was a family situation I believe, but don't quote me on that.

Hasn't been too many name changes in footy, compared to basketball at least:

Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Lloyd(?) Free to World B. Free
Chris Jackson to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Brian Williams to Bison Dele

 

[Rohan_]

Tommy Kavanagh son of Brent Croswell

 

[The Phat Side]

Did Murray Wiedeman change his name when he became a wrassler?? Wasnt he Killer Something or other??

Also did Ian Stewart change his name to Jan Stewart when he (allegedly) played dress ups?

 

[Bomber Spirit]

The biggest name change was boxing, with Cassius Clay becoming Mohammed Ali.

There's been a few in cricket. Navroj Singh became Navroj Sidhu; Nazir Junior became Mohammed Nazir, Abdul Hafeez became Abdul Hafeez Kadar.
Plenty of female sportspeople have changed their name when they've got married. But it's rare for males to change their name.

 

[CCsBoots]

Cassius Clay changed his name cos of religion....

Just like Cat Stevens!

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Carlton ruckman in the early 1970s (recruited from Central Districts, SANFL), changed his name from Gary Lawson-Smith to just Gary Smith.

 

[Bulldogsroar]

Andrew Lukimitis to Andrew Lucas playyed 60 odd games with Carlton and Fitzroy in 1970's

 

[Savatage]

Bardsley changed his name because the man that brought him up, was named Bardsley- not his birthfather who was named Anning.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I know this isn't a footballer, but Australian fast bowler Len Pascoe changed his name from Len Durtanovich. He decided the name Pascoe would be easier for the test selectors to remember, plus it would fit on the scoreboard more easily.

 

[King Crow]

Jason Williams changed his name to Jay Williams

 

[koulagirl32]

Originally posted by CCsBoots
Cassius Clay changed his name cos of religion....

Just like Cat Stevens!

Lots of music performers and actors/actresses change their names. Equity rules are that no two performers can have the same name, so that's obviously got something to do with it. Also ethnic, difficult to pronounce names are often edited. Most footballers don't do that though. You can imagine the effects:

Daniel Jennings (Giansiracusa)
Paul Kostas (Koulouriotis)
Josh Frank (Francou)
Anthony Kouts (Koutoufides)

...for example. Those are pretty bad examples though.

And yeah, I guess not really relevant either.

 

[JUBJUB]

David Mensch changed his name to Much Maligned Mensch.

 

[Shamus O'Shane]

Didn't Nikki Webster change her name to Josh Fraser? Or am I just confusing their playing styles?

 

[JUBJUB]

Originally posted by Shamus O'Shane
Didn't Nikki Webster change her name to Josh Fraser? Or am I just confusing their playing styles?

get ready for the abuse.

 

[Rob]

John Gastev was originally John Gastevich (I think, spelling might be a bit off). Changed it while still playing for West Perth from memory.

 

[CCsBoots]

Originally posted by CCsBoots
Cassius Clay changed his name cos of religion....

Just like Cat Stevens!

I don't think it was a showbiz thing that prompted Ali to change his name. (Though it may have been in an attempt to avoid the draft without punishment?)
When he adopted Islam he took the name:
Muhammad Ali = "Worthy of All Praise"

Cat Stevens also converted to Islam and took the name Yusuf Islam.

Sorry for the non-football reference...

Can I suggest also that many people (esp in America in days gone by) changed their name so that they could fit in, in their new country. Eastern Europeans had names that english speakers would find very hard to pronounce...so they were anglicised. Would it be the same in Australia?

 

[funky_monk]

Pretty sure a VFL player around WWII with a german name (might have even been Schwartz) changed his name to a anglo-saxon name.

I remember reading it in the afl stats guide but I can't find it again!!

 

[The Phat Side]

Didn't Nikki Webster change her name to Josh Fraser? Or am I just confusing their playing styles?

Ill pay that.

Speaking of chicken, that reminds me, what about Chicken Smallhorn? Did he change his name? Or was his mum fond of poultry?. Or was he a native American Indian? Ive always wondered you know.

 

[Goldenblue]

Originally posted by Shamus O'Shane
Didn't Nikki Webster change her name to Josh Fraser? Or am I just confusing their playing styles?

Classic.

 

[Osmosis]

Jesus Christ changed his name to Eddie McGuire !!