After a recent visit to Aoteaora I thought, Hmm, how many footballers can claim lineage to the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’? So I’ve picked a side. Some were born in Aoteaora, others have a parent(s) from there, however all have links to Aoteaora . Who have I left out, who could play elsewhere on the field? Please let me know.
B : D Dickie, Brisbane; B Rutten, Adelaide; H Haughton, Carlton
H/B: D Dickfos, Brisbane; Joe Sellwood, Geelong; M McDonnell, Footscray
C: Brett Peake, Fremantle/St Kilda; Brian Peake, Geelong; W Schwass, North Melbourne/Sydney
H/F: P Bennett, Hawthorn/Essendon; T Croad, Hawthorn/Fremantle; T O’Halloran , Richmond
F: B Maister, St Kilda; A Edwards, West Coast/ North Melbourne/ Richmond; J Van Berlo, Fremantle
Foll: W ‘Wow’, Jones, Carlton/St Kilda; N Van Berlo, Adelaide; D Martin, Richmond
Inter: K Hunt, Gold Coast; A Campbell, Fremantle; G Broughton, Fremantle; M Williams, Collingwood
Emerg: D McAlister, Essendon; B Renouf, Hawthorn/Port Adelaide; M Gawn, Melbourne
Who could captain the team ? Brian Peake was a good leader, Wayne Schwass has some good recommendations for captaincy. Coach? That I don’t know. Can anyone think of a coach with Kiwi links?
Glen!
John McCarthy from North and Fitzroy is a Kiwi.
Some there I had no idea were Kiwis. Perhaps assumed they were of indigenous background!
Good work Glen!
With good support from Crokes.
interesting to see Special K making a best ever 22.
Hawthorn have a couple of modern day kiwis, just starting out.
One of them, Shem, actually learned the game in NZ, and at age 18 or so has the makings of a monster forward.
John McCarthy? How did i leave him out?
In light of the interest on the Almanac re next years Carlton V St Kilda match it would be great to see footy take off again in Aoteaora.
Glen!
G’Day Glen,
It’s a good article to read even if I don’t know most of footballers you mentioned (very sadly). Why not having state of origin games between New Zealand and Victoria in Wellington and Melbourne one each a year?
Yoshi
G’day Yoshi. That sounds like it could be a good idea for future reference. As they say, “the future is unwritten.’
Glen!
G’Day Glean again, yes indeed the future is unwritten. I hope our plans for the future will become reality! Cheers – Yoshi