Almanac Teams: A Jolly Rohde trip to the Murray; Obscure 41s (1980- )

 

 

St Kilda’s Phil Narkle [Source: Author]

 

A team of more obscure/lesser known players to wear the Number 41 jumper since 1980.

 

 

Here’s my second team of players to wear the Number 41, mostly from 1980 onwards but I have made exceptions, such as Mark Alves in the Number 39 side.

 

 

It is a light-hearted team based on cult figures, forgotten/lesser known players or stats/cameos associated with them, players known for other deeds, sons, fathers & brothers and forgotten players.

 

My criteria, similar to my previous efforts was:

 

  • Attempt to include one player per club
  • I have tried to create as balanced side as possible but this was not a priority

 

 

Stats are based on their time in that number

 

 

 

 

FB:         Steven Hocking (Geel)              Matthew Eagles (Bris)             Gordon Sumner (Coll)

 

CHB:     Terry Domburg (Coll)                Brent Staker (WCE)                Peter Rohde (Carl/Melb)

 

C:           Darrin Pritchard (Haw)             Gary Stevens (Syd)                  Michael Quinn (Ess)

 

CHF:     Peter Cloke (Rich)                       David Round (WB)                  Derek Murray (PA)

 

FF:         Con Gorozidis (St.K)                  Dave McGlashan (Melb)         Adrian McAdam (NM)

 

Ruck:    Darren Jolly (Melb)                    Matthew Larkin (NM)             Phil Narkle (WCE)

 

Interchange: David Brown (Syd), Andrew Hooper (WB), Shane Morwood (Syd), Matthew Scarlett (Geel)

Sub: Connor Downie (Haw)

 

No players from Adelaide, Fitzroy, Fremantle, Gold Coast or GWS

 

 

 

Games in Number 41 (Years played)

Steven Hocking 56 (1984-1987)

Matthew Eagles 6 (2018-2020)

Gordon Sumner 25 (1985-1986)

Terry Domburg 13 (1980-1982)

Brent Staker  110 (2003-2009)

Peter Rohde 46 at Carlton (1985-1987) 117 at Melbourne (1989-1995)

Darrin Pritchard 16 (1987)

Gary Stevens 5 (1992-1993)

Michael Quinn 8 (2009-2010)

Peter Cloke 28 (1970-1973)

David Round 2 (1997)

Derek Murray 3 (1999)

Con Gorozidis 14 (1981)

Dave McGlashan 6 (1981-1982)

Adrian McAdam 36 (1993-1995)

Darren Jolly 4 (2001)

Matthew Larkin 10 (1984)

Phil Narkle 9 (1990)

David Brown 12 (1988-1990)

Andrew Hooper 7 (2010-2012)

Shane Morwood 17 (1981-1982)

Matthew Scarlett 1 (1998)

Connor Downie 2 (2021- )

 

 

 

Steven Hocking – Steven is three and a half years older than brother Garry and was recruited from Geelong’s Zone in Cobram. Steve made his debut in 1984 and played the last two games of the year. He then played 19 games in 1985 with his eleventh game the most memorable against Hawthorn in Round 12, 1985. Hocking was playing on Hawks veteran Leigh Matthews in an ugly, spiteful match with Mark Jackson running amok starting fights. In a behind the scene incident caught on camera Leigh Matthews belted Neville Bruns in an unprovoked manner, which broke his jaw. This terrible hit by Matthews had repercussions when he went back to the forward line with a young Hocking who held no fears of Leigh Matthews belting him and breaking his nose in an incident not caught on camera. Hocking was not reported nor was Matthews initially, though ‘Lethal’ did end up being charged with assault by the police. Hocking remained in Geelong’s defence for a decade over 199 games, his last was the 1994 Grand Final. Hocking served Geelong off field from 2004-2017 as chair of selectors then GM of Football. From 2017-2021 he was at the AFL as their GM of Football before he went back to Geelong as CEO.

 

 

Matthew Eagles – Eagles was playing for Yeronga when he appeared on season two of the television show ‘The Recruit’ which guaranteed the winner a spot as a Category B rookie on an AFL list. Eagles was 26 at the time and one of the older contestants but at 200cm he was hoped to be picked as a late developer. Eagles won the series and had bids from Gold Coast, Collingwood and Brisbane. Eagles spent the whole of 2017 in Brisbane reserves and was one of the best in the Grand Final. Eagles debuted in 2018 when he played four games and two more in 2020.

 

 

Gordon Sumner –  Sumner received a ‘Message in a Bottle’ to join Collingwood and debuted in Round 5, 1985 to provide some Sting in defence. Wearing the Number 58 he was one of the best on ground with 29 disposals, this was one of the best debut games in VFL/AFL history by someone wearing Number 58 until Mark Dwyer’s at Fitzroy in 1986. The next week Collingwood decided they may have a decent player and so gave him Number 41. Sumner played eight of the first nine games in 1986 with new coach Leigh Matthews, who told Sumner before a game one day ‘Every breath you take, every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you’. Sumner embarked on a solo career in 1987 when he left Collingwood and rejected an offer to join the Police. Sumner was loved by Collingwood but they believed ‘If you love somebody, set them free’. Sumner had some interest from the Russians but nothing came of that.

 

In all honestly I actually met Gordon Sumner through a great mate called Lucas who was from Kerang. Sumner was manager/owner or working at the Kerang pub when I was there in 2004. We did ask Sumner to sing Roxanne; Sumner declined (he’s probably heard that line before).

 

 

Terry Domburg – Domburg was recruited to Collingwood from South Warrnambool as a 19 year old. Domburg debuted in Round 10, 1980 and played seven games including the Elimination Final at an average of four disposals a game. Domburg did not play a game in 1981 and in 1982 played six games with an average of 10 disposals. He moved to Portland in 1983 but was offered with Neil Peart, Wally Lovett and $180,000 as a swap for Geoff Raines. Domburg never made it to Richmond.

 

 

Brent Staker – Staker was recruited from West Broken Hill with Pick 37 in the 2002 draft. He made his debut in Round 17, 2003 and played the last seven games including the Elimination Final. Staker had the ability to play either end of the ground with 24 goals in 2006 his best haul. Staker played in the 2005 Grand Final and after playing every game in 2006 Staker was dropped after the Qualifying Final loss and was an emergency for the 2006 Premiership. Staker is best remembered for an incident against the Swans. When playing on Barry Hall, Hall struck Staker in the jaw. Staker missed one week while Hall was suspended for seven weeks. After 110 games Staker moved to Brisbane for 2010 and played 50 games from 2010-2015.

 

 

Peter Rohde – Rohde was recruited to Carlton from their zone at Sandhurst and debuted against Geelong in Round 4, 1985 aged 20. Rohde had a career high 33 disposals on the wing and played 20 games in 1985 including the Elimination Final, won Carlton’s Best First Year Player and came fourth in the 1985 Best & Fairest. Rohde played 19 games in 1986 but was dropped for the Grand Final and played in the Reserves premiership of 1986-1987 after only seven games in 1987. He was traded to Melbourne in 1988; he played only seven games that year and was injured for the Grand Final. Rohde was a regular as HBF or even playing CHB for Melbourne in 117 games before he retired in 1995. Rohde went into coaching and won a premiership at Norwood in 1997, then joined the Western Bulldogs where he took over as head coach in Round 22, 2002 when Terry Wallace resigned. His subsequent appointment to the job full time for 2003-2004 resulted in nine wins from 45 games. He then served as Football Operations Manager from 2005-2014 at Port Adelaide.

 

 

Darrin Pritchard – Pritchard joined Hawthorn from Sandy Bay as Pick 26 in the 1986 Draft. Pritchard debuted for Hawthorn in Round 8, 1987 and played all of the remaining home and away games except one. Pritchard was dropped for the first week of the finals but was recalled in place of Rodney Eade for the Preliminary Final. Pritchard had 18 disposals and kicked a goal however he was dropped again before the Grand Final for Andy Collins. Pritchard earned a reprieve after Jason Dunstall was withdrawn from the Grand Final side due to an ankle injury. He had 13 disposals and a goal in Hawthorn’s loss. Pritchard become a premiership player in 1988, 1989 and 1991. Pritchard or Dean Anderson were named Hawthorn’s best in 1989; just behind Gary Ablett in the Norm Smith votes. Pritchard retired in 1997 with 211 games.

 

 

Gary Stevens – Stevens was drafted by Sydney with Pick 96 in the 1989 Draft. Gary is a middle brother; 15 months younger than former North Melbourne champion Anthony and eight years older than Michael who played 61 games for Port Adelaide and the Kangaroos. Gary won the 1991 Morrish Medal and debuted in Round 10, 1992 against Hawthorn. His third game was against North Melbourne and Anthony. North won by 31 points, Gary had five disposals and Anthony 13. After just one game in 1993 Gary was delisted.

 

 

Michael Quinn – Quinn holds the record for the quickest conversion of a Gaelic Footballer to play in an AFL game. Quinn had trialled with Essendon in August 2008 and was invited back in November as a Category B Rookie. After he impressed early for the Bendigo Bombers Quinn was picked for Round 2’s clash against Fremantle; he gathered 20 disposals. Quinn played Round 4 but injuries prevented him from playing again until Rounds 19-21. He was then picked for an elimination final where he kicked a goal in the Dons’ loss. Quinn played just two games in 2010 and at the age of 20 returned back to Ireland to play Gaelic Football once more.

 

 

Peter Cloke – Peter is four years older than David and debuted for Richmond in 1970 for six games. Peter played 28 games from 1970-1973 with 1971 his best season with ten games. After one game in 1973 Peter returned to Oakleigh while David joined Richmond in 1974. Peter joined North Adelaide in 1975 to 1981 and came runner up in the Magarey Medal in 1979.

 

 

David Round – Round was drafted by the Western Bulldogs in 1995 as a Father-Son pick. He debuted at 18 in Round 3, 1997 against Richmond, he had one kick. Round kept his spot the next week but again had just one kick (and two hit outs). Round was delisted at the end of the year, rookie listed by North Melbourne in 1998 but did not play another game. Round played for Williamstown in 1999 just like his dad had done and won the Seagulls’ Best & Fairest.

 

 

Derek Murray – Murray is best known for playing 62 tests for the West Indies between 1963-1980 with 181 catches and eight stumpings as one of their best ever wicket keepers… Derek Murray was really born almost six months before Deryck’s last test and at 173cm and with a bit of a leap as a small forward, Derek could have also been a wicketkeeper. Murray won the Morrish Medal in 1998 and was drafted with Pick 54 in the 1998 Draft. He played three games for three goals in 1999 after Rounds 5-7. Murray moved to Number 26 in 2000 and played 20 games in next three years with 11 games in 2000 his best. Murray was delisted after 23 games in 2002.

 

 

Con Gorozidis – Gorozidis had four years in the AFL in four different numbers. Gorozidis had a bit of cult following maybe due to the fact he was goal kicker for the lowly placed Saints. Gorozidis started as an 18-year-old in the Number 19 jumper in 1980 where he played one game in Round 8 for one goal. In 1981 Gorozidis went to Number 41 and showed a lot of promise: 14 games for 34 goals and he won the goal kicking. Gorozidis’ best game was against North Melbourne, he kicked 6.3. In 1982 Gorozidis moved to Number 32 and played 14 games for 29 goals with four bags of four. In 1983 he requested to go to Footscray and wore Number 11 in five games for ten goals. Gorozidis would miss all of 1984-1985 with injuries and he never played another game after Round 22, 1983 aged 21. He ended up on 34 games for 74 goals.

 

 

Dave McGlashan – McGlashan made his debut for Melbourne in Round 4, 1981 aged 23, he played three games for one goal. In 1982 McGlashan played Round 4 and then came back into the Melbourne side in Round 10 when Mark Jackson was suspended. Melbourne played Collingwood and won by seven points; McGlashan kicked 6.1 from nine kicks. McGlashan though was dropped the week after for Jackson (The Dees lost by 79 points to Hawthorn; Jackson kicked two goals, though he kicked 76 for the year). McGlashan returned in Round 12 but did not kick a goal and did not play another game after that.

 

 

Adrian McAdam – McAdam was drafted by North Melbourne with Pick 98 in the 1992 Draft and is four years younger than brother Gilbert. McAdam was named an emergency for Round 5 against Richmond but was a late in for his first game when Darren Crocker was a late out. In a high scoring match McAdam kicked 7.2. In a 37 point win in his second game (which North won by 124 points), McAdam kicked 10.6, in his third game against Footscray he kicked 6.3 and in his sixth game – six weeks after his brother Gilbert kicked five goals in a historic match at Victoria Park – Adrian kicked 9.2 in an 83 point win. At Round 10 of the 1993 season Carey had 40 goals, Longmire 37 and McAdam 36 (from just six games). He played a total of 17 games in 1993 and kicked 68 goals. McAdam never reached those heights again: 18 games for 22 goals in 1994 and just one game for one goal in 1995. He was traded to Collingwood in 1996 but never played a game there. In 2003 a Northern Territory Chief Minister’s XI captained by Michael Clarke played Bangladesh. McAdam played as a fast bowler and took three wickets: Habibul Bashar, Javed Omar and Mohammad Ashraful.

 

 

Darren Jolly – Jolly started his career in 2001 as reserve ruck and played four games from Round 2-6. Jolly moved to Jim Stynes’ old Number 11 in 2002 and played 18 games and then 19 games in 2003 but was always second fiddle behind Jeff White. After seven games in 2004 and 48 games in total, Jolly was traded to Sydney in 2005 for Pick 26. Jolly played in a premiership in 2005 and a Grand Final in 2006 in 118 games from 2005-2009. He moved to Collingwood in 2010 and just like he did at Sydney, won a premiership in his first year and played in a Grand Final in his second over 71 games from 2010-2013. Jolly played 237 games in total. After footy, Jolly competed in two seasons of the TV Show ‘The Block’ and unlike his AFL career, had to wait until the second occasion to get the chocolates in 2015.

 

 

Matthew Larkin – Larkin started his career as a 19 year old for North Melbourne in Round 13, 1984 and played the remaining ten games for seven goals. Larkin moved to Number 9 in 1985 and showed promise with 23 games and 32 goals. Larkin was probably North Melbourne’s best player post Schimmelbusch and pre-Carey; he won three Best & Fairest in 1985, 1987 and 1988 and captained the club from 1990-1992. He also made the VFL team of the year in 1988. In 1993 Larkin resigned from the captaincy and played only 13 games including the elimination final due to injuries and form. Larkin retired in 1994 at 29 with 172 games and 143 goals. He made a return to a former VFL opposition and current VAFA side Fitzroy in 2022 as senior assistant coach.

 

 

Phil Narkle – Narkle joined St Kilda from Swan Districts in 1984 aged 23. Narkle was known for his distinctive headgear at the Saints that looked like a motorbike helmet and was black, white and red. Narkle played 48 games from 1984-1986 for 37 goals. Narkle joined West Coast in their inaugural season in 1987 in Number 7 and played their first four games before injuries restricted him to nine games for the year. He missed all of 1988 due to an ankle injury and was delisted. Narkle then played for Swan Districts in 1989 but was redrafted with Pick 10 in the 1990 Preseason Draft. He wore Number 41 in 1990 and played his first game back in Round 8; he collected 22 disposals and kicked two goals. West Coast had a stellar year in 1990 and Narkle proved a handy back up acquisition over nine games for ten goals. Narkle retired at the end of 1990 with 66 VFL/AFL games, he also played 178 games for Swan Districts from 1978-1983 and 1988-1993 where he won three premierships and the 1982 Sandover Medal.

 

 

David Brown – Brown joined Sydney in 1988 as the replacement for Warwick Capper. Brown debuted aged 20 in Round 6 against Geelong where he kicked four goals. Brown kicked 14 goals in his first four games before he injured his anterior cruciate ligament against Essendon in Round 10 and missed the rest of the year.  Brown returned in Round 7, 1989 but only played five games for three goals and in 1990 two games for one goal; his knee clearly affected his form. Brown finished with 12 games for 18 goals.

 

 

Andrew Hooper – Hooper was drafted by the Bulldogs with Pick 35 in the 2010 Rookie Draft. After being named emergency a couple of time late in the season, Hooper was selected in the 2010 Semi Final win against Sydney where he gathered five disposals and kicked a goal. He was then dropped for the Preliminary Final for Dale Morris. Hooper played five games in 2011 and one game in 2012; a total of seven games for seven goals.

 

 

Shane Morwood – Shane is two years younger than Paul, and one year younger than Tony. Shane debuted aged 19 against Fitzroy in Round 14, 1981 alongside both brothers. In his second game he kicked four goals. After four games in 1981, Morwood played thirteen games for nine goals in 1982 but quit the club at the end of the season to go to Collingwood as he did not want to move to Sydney; his older brother Paul moved to St Kilda the same year. Shane played 195 games for 111 goals at Collingwood and became a premiership player in 1990. He also made the VFL team of the year in 1988.

 

 

Matthew Scarlett – Scarlett was picked up by Geelong in the 1997 draft as his dad John had played 183 games for Geelong from 1967-1977 and also 29 games for South Melbourne from 1977-1979. Scarlett made his debut in Round 22, 1998 against Essendon where he played on Matthew Lloyd; the first of many great duels. Scarlett’s second game was in Round 11, 1999 in Number 30, again against Matthew Lloyd’s Bombers. He played five games in 1999 but from 2000 on became one of the best full backs in the league’s history over 284 games. He was a three time premiership player, six time All Australian and 2003 Best & Fairest.

 

 

Connor Downie – Downie is the medical sub for this side as he was Hawthorn’s first ever medical sub. Downie was not required on the ground but this still counted as a game and he still got a Gatorade shower. Downie then had to wait until Round 22 for his second game when he at least got a run on the ground with 12 disposals. At this stage these are Downie’s only two games.

 

 

Some of the forgotten Number 41s are Robert Thompson (Adel), Jacob Anstey (Carl), Andrew Manning (Ess), Tony Spassopoulos and Peter Bird (Fitz), Matthew Clucas (Freo), Garry Phillips (Geel), Leigh Osborne (GC), Eric Lissendon (NM), Kim Kershaw (Rich), Tom Crebbin (St.K), Andrew Strijk (WCE) and Ross Gallagher (Foots)

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Luke Reynolds says

    Three pretty decent wickets from McAdam!

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