Weirdest Football Career

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Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Keith Miller
1940-42 Playing for the saints in the vfl
1942-45 WWII pilot
1946 Back at the saints for a season
1946-56 Australian test cricketer

You can add Laurie Nash here also.
 
Aug 31, 2011
3,489
3,930
Bris
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Joel Selwood had 3 premierships by the time he was 23.
J.Brown was a 3 premiership player at the age of 21. After the age of 22 he never got close to another grand final and played in one finals series after that.

He did get paid a s**t load of money to stay up in Brisbane though, so I wouldn't feel too sorry for him.
 

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You can add Laurie Nash here also.
Vic Richardson too. Captained the Test cricket team, three time Sturt Premiership player and Magarey medalist, represented South Australia and Australia at baseball and won a state tennis title.
Honourable mention to Eric Freeman who stepped off the plane from the 1968 Ashes tour and into the Port Adelaide team for the finals.
 
Dan Currie hung around for years..
Honestly one of the worst players I have ever seen live. Sat and watched him literally run around in a circle for 30-40 seconds one game. No idea wtf he was doing or how he manages to stay in the game so long.
 

McOrist

Club Legend
Aug 17, 2009
1,886
3,107
The East
AFL Club
Collingwood
J.Brown was a 3 premiership player at the age of 21. After the age of 22 he never got close to another grand final and played in one finals series after that.

He did get paid a s**t load of money to stay up in Brisbane though, so I wouldn't feel too sorry for him.
Albert (Leeter) Collier was 21 when he played in his 4th consecutive premiership side. He also won the Brownlow at 20. At the height of the Great Depression in 1931 (the year after his 4th flag) he moved to Captain-Coach a side in Tasmania for two years. He returned to the 'Pies in 1933 and went on to win 2 more premierships in '35 and '36. One of the all-time greats.
 
Billy James.

Won a country GF week before the VFL GF, selected by Richmond, never having played for the club, kicked the sealing goal for the Tigers first premiership.
1 game, 1 premiership.
Never played VFL again.

The story was his career with Richmond ended because he went home and shot himself in the foot in a hunting accident.
Not quite true as explained here;
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-11/legendary-grand-final-story-shot-down-as-myth
First bloke I thought of. Must also mention Vic Cumberland. Played his first game for Melbourne in 1898, had 4 separate stints at St Kilda, with time in South Australia, New Zealand and World War 1 in between. Was 43 when he played his last league game.
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Majak Daw.

Got found out tactically as a forward, doesn't have the tank to play ruck, and now at 27 years of age and with 9 years on the list he is "learning" to play as a second up pick off defender.

/thread
 
Greg Williams is a curious one, not necessarily weird, but..... Rejected by Carlton for being too slow. Picked up by Geelong where in his second and last season he wins the B&F before being lured up to Sydney where he wins a Brownlow. Then the club that rejected him makes an offer he can't refuse and Williams ends his career at Carlton, winning another Brownlow.
 
Majak Daw.

Got found out tactically as a forward, doesn't have the tank to play ruck, and now at 27 years of age and with 9 years on the list he is "learning" to play as a second up pick off defender.

/thread
Yeah, but what a unit!
 

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Fabes

All Australian
Jan 22, 2015
978
1,200
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Joel Selwood had 3 premierships by the time he was 23.
Joel Selwood, born 26 May 1988, was 23yrs 128days old when he won his third premiership on Grand Final day 1 October 2011.

Bradley Hill, born 9 July 1993, was 22yrs 86days old when he won his third premiership on Grand Final day 3 October 2015.

...and that's not to mention Jonathan Brown who was even younger when he won his third premiership.
 

EagleMan87

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 18, 2006
9,580
4,107
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
WCE
Josh P. Kennedy:
- Drafted to Hawthorn as the scion of one of the biggest names in the club's history
- Couldn't get a consistent run in the team, so moved to Sydney at the age of 21 for a set of steak knives after playing 13 games in 3 seasons
- Became one of the premier mids of the comp, helping Sydney to beat his old side in a GF, winning 3xAA and 3xBF and named as captain last year
 
Apr 3, 2006
33,469
11,826
AFL Club
Geelong
Joel Selwood, born 26 May 1988, was 23yrs 128days old when he won his third premiership on Grand Final day 1 October 2011.

Bradley Hill, born 9 July 1993, was 22yrs 86days old when he won his third premiership on Grand Final day 3 October 2015.

...and that's not to mention Jonathan Brown who was even younger when he won his third premiership.

Is this a contest?
 

Isaac Cumming No 1

Cancelled
10k Posts
Mar 28, 2018
10,491
8,454
AFL Club
GWS
Michael Tuck

Maybe not wierd but unbelievable. How does does a guy who took a year and a half to get his first senior game in the 70's, go on to break the senior games record at 427. Winning 7 flags along the way.
 
Apr 12, 2016
3,041
8,017
In the basement, mixing up the medicine.
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Keith Miller
1940-42 Playing for the saints in the vfl
1942-45 WWII pilot
1946 Back at the saints for a season
1946-56 Australian test cricketer

Said to be the subject of Sidney Nolan's 'Footballer' painting too.

images (1).jpeg
 

Coaster2012

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 10, 2012
7,499
9,218
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Manchester City, Lakers
Jack Watts must have the luckiest career. If he wasn't taken pick 1, probably would be wasting away in the VFL right about now. Never heard of a player getting so many chances to "come good".
 
Sep 5, 2013
4,279
7,533
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
West Coast Wonders, GSW Bandwagoner
Troy Wilson the mature aged rookie before they became a thing.

Raced motorcross and got a third place nationally .
Started playing WAFL at the age of 24 as a defender.
Drafted to the Eagles at the age of 28, turning 29 before playing a game
Led the clubs goal kicking the next season.
Had injuries curtail his 2002 season, however that didn't stop him from placing 1st in the 2002 WA Sports Sedan Endurance Series Race.
Retired from AFL at the end of 2003.
Went on to captain the Australian team in the USA vs Australia Monster Trucks Challenge
 
Sep 7, 2005
14,927
40,197
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Dallas Mavs, West Ham
Steve Johnson was on the trade table in late 2006, reportedly failed a medical at Collingwood which was the only reason he remained at Geelong. Over the 2006/2007 pre-season he was arrested and received a club-imposed suspension for the first five rounds of the 2007 season. You would have received pretty odd longs at this point of his career being a success.

He made his senior return in round 6, 2007 and despite only playing 17 H&A games that season was named All Australian. Went on to kick 49 goals for the year and win the Norm Smith medal.

The rest of his career speaks for itself - another two premierships, another two AA selections, two time leading goalkicker in one of the best sides of the modern era.

Also:

Shane Mumford plucked from Binyup as an overweight, unfit lump of a ruckman. Became one of the better ruckman of the past few years and played in a flag.

Tom Stewart discovered by Matthew Scarlett playing local footy at South Barwon, was given an opportunity with Geelong's VFL team where he made the VFL Team of the Year and was runner-up in the B&F (2016), selected by Geelong at #40 and in just his second year at AFL level he is odds-on to make the All-Australian team. He won't even play his 50th game until next year...
 

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