Almanac Teams: Crow flown the Koop; Obscure 47s (1980- )

 

 

 

 

A team of more obscure/lesser known players to wear the Number 47 jumper since 1980.

 

 

Here’s my second team of players to wear the Number 47, mostly from 1980 onwards but I have made exceptions, such as Mark Alves in Number 39.

 

 

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:        Jake Kelly (Adel)               Des Ryan (Rich)                              Doug Koop (SM/NM)

 

CHB:    Mil Hanna (Carl)                  Mitchell White (WCE)               Alan Jarrott (NM/Melb)

 

C:          Jack Crisp (Bris)                    Tom Couch (Melb)                     Ricky Olarenshaw (Ess/NM)

 

CHF:    Justin Crow (Coll)                 Dermott Brereton (Haw)          Josh Deluca (Carl)

 

FF:        Chris Dalkin (Coll)                Josh Bruce (GWS)                     Hewago Paul Oea (GCS)

 

Ruck:   Laurence Angwin (Carl)       Aaron Black (WCE)                    Mark Eustice (Ess)

 

Interchange: Bernie Harris (St.K), Renato Serafini (Fitz), Barry Standfield (Foots), Jay Van Berlo (Freo)

 

No players from Geelong or Port Adelaide.

 

 

 

Games in Number 47 (Years played)

Jake Kelly 10 (2015)

Des Ryan 5 (1986)

Doug Koop 15 at South Melbourne (1979-1981) 5 at North Melbourne (1985-1986)

Mil Hanna 1 (1986)

Mitchell White 2 (1991)

Allan Jarrott 79 at North Melbourne (1977-1981) 91 at Melbourne (1982-1986)

Jack Crisp 12 (2012-2013)

Tom Couch 3 (2012)

Ricky Olarenshaw 77 at Essendon (1993-1998) 1 at North Melbourne (2001)

Justin Crow 1 (2004)

Dermott Brereton 2 (1982)

Josh Deluca 6 (2019)

Chris Dalkin 18 (1982-1985)

Josh Bruce 14 (2012-2013)

Hewago Paul Oea 5 (2022- )

Laurence Angwin 4 (2003)

Aaron Black 1 (2022- )

Mark Eustice 10 (1980-1981)

Renato Serafini 2 (1971)

Barry Standfield 5 (1990)

Jay Van Berlo 32 (2009-2012)

 

 

 

Jake Kelly – Jake is the son of premiership player Craig and was eligible as a Father-Son pick but was not picked up by Collingwood. Kelly was drafted by Adelaide with Pick 40 in the 2014 Rookie Draft and made his debut in Round 3, 2015. He played ten games, all in a row, for his debut season before he moved to Number 8 in 2016. Kelly was a regular in the Adelaide side for 110 games from 2015 to 2021 and a member of the 2017 Grand Final team. He joined Essendon in 2022 as a free agent and his brother Will was drafted by Collingwood as a Father-Son.

 

 

Des Ryan – Des joined Richmond from Birchip and debuted in Round 8, 1986 against Sydney in Sydney. Ryan was picked at FB on debut and played on high flying superstar Warwick Capper who had 33 goals from seven games to that point. The Wiz kicked ten goals while Ryan had four kicks, however Richmond had the last laugh – they won by a point. Ryan was picked the next week, played on Brian Taylor and kept him to five goals. Ryan did not play again in 1986 until Rounds 19, 21 and 22. It’s unclear if Ryan started or had stints at full back in these games but the oppositions forwards were Paul Salmon (11 goals), Brian Taylor again (ten) and Gary Ablett Snr (eight). In 1987 he moved to Number 32 and despite his 192cm height, from 1988 Ryan played as an athletic swingman capable of playing half forward/half back. He played 56 games for 29 goals with a best of three. He played his best football under Kevin Bartlett as a coach with 41 of those games from 1988-1991.

 

 

Doug Koop – Koop was somewhat a journeyman and cult figure in a career from 1979-1989 over 44 games. Koop started as 19 year old at South Melbourne and played as a half forward. Koop played two games in 1979 and in his third ever game in Round 4, 1980 he kicked four goals against the reigning premiers, along with 22 disposals. He followed up with three goals two weeks later but played just nine games in 1980 and four in 1981; he finished his stint at South Melbourne with 15 games for 15 goals. Koop played at Woodville from 1982-1984 over 60 games for 55 goals before he earned another stint in the VFL. He joined North Melbourne in 1985 but played just five games in two seasons for four goals despite the fact he was reserves Best & Fairest in 1986. Koop was offered up to Brisbane in 1987 but was declined by the Bears and ended up at Melbourne where he played as a tagger. He played 17 games in 1987 including two finals and seven in 1988 including the first two finals before he was dropped for the Preliminary Final. Koop injured his knee in the preseason of 1989 and did not play another game.

 

 

Mil Hanna – Hanna made his debut for Carlton in Round 1, 1986 aged 19. Hanna was the first Lebanese AFL player and was known initially for his thinning hair and then bald cranium due to a condition called alopecia. Hanna had a nightmare debut; he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter and finished with one kick to his name. In 1987 Hanna was given Number 13 and recovered from his injury to play eight games for nine goals. From 1988 Hanna was a regular in Carlton’s side over 190 games for 88 goals until 1997 with a best haul of eight goals against Melbourne in 1991. He won a premiership in 1995 and become an All Australian in 1992. In the 1993 Grand Final Hanna was knocked unconscious by a Dean Wallis forearm.

 

 

Alan Jarrott – Looking at Alan Jarrott’s career, it looks like he had a love for the Number 47 having played 170 games at two clubs in the number…he may also have had a love of playing under Ron Barassi. Jarrott played in Barassi coached sides at North Melbourne from 1977-1980 and Melbourne from 1982-1985. He made his debut in 1977 and played eight games including the first two finals but was dropped for the Preliminary Final. In 1978 Jarrott played 17 games but was dropped again after the Semi Final. Jarrott was apparently a regular on the handball segment of ‘World of Sport’ as a very good exponent of the core footy skill.

 

 

Jack Crisp – Crisp was recruited to Brisbane as Pick 40 in the 2012 Rookie Draft (ironically Jake Kelly was also a Pick 40). He made his debut aged 18 against Gold Coast in Round 4 and played ten games for the year. Crisp played  two games in 2013 and moved to Number 5 in 2014 when he played the last six games of the season. In 2015 Crisp was traded to Collingwood with Picks 5 and 25 for Dayne Beams. Crisp was known as the ‘steak knives’ part of the deal but went on to have great success at the Pies. Crisp has played every game since his arrival at Collingwood and holds the current player record of most games in a row with 188 (which includes six at Brisbane). He also won the Best & Fairest at Collingwood in 2021 and 2022 and has played 200 games.

 

 

Tom Couch – Tom is the son of champion Geelong Brownlow Medallist Paul. Tom played for Geelong Falcons but wasn’t drafted from the Falcons, rather he was a member of Geelong’s VFL side by the time Melbourne selected him with Pick 24 in the 2012 Rookie Draft. He debuted aged 24 in Round 16, 2012 against Fremantle and gathered 13 disposals. Couch played three games with the first 13 disposal return his best. He came second in the Liston Medal in 2012, but was delisted in 2013 and played in Tasmania thereafter. Couch more recently moved into the realm of personal training and has served as a trainer for American tennis player Danielle Collins since 2019. Collins was runner up to Ash Barty at the 2022 Australian Open.

 

 

Ricky Olarenshaw – Olarenshaw was recruited from Keilor as a local for Essendon and won a flag in his first year aged 20. He played 16 games in 1993 and had a great finals series with more than 20 disposals in each game and in the Grand Final was probably one of best three players on the ground. The remainder of Olarenshaw’s career was injury prone, he played 77 games between 1993-1998 and his best year was 1998 with 17. Olarenshaw was traded to Collingwood in 1999 where he wore Number 8 (maybe he had hoped to change his luck?) but only managed five games in 1999 and missed the whole of 2000 due to injury. In 2001 he was traded to North Melbourne and chose Number 47 but only played one game. Ricky was a boundary rider for Channel 7 in 2007 and 2008.

 

 

Justin Crow –Justin is the son of ex-Bomber, Saint and Bulldog Max and was of similar height at 196cm. Justin was eligible as Father-Son for Essendon as Max had played 136 games there. He was selected with Pick 24 in the 2001 Rookie Draft and played one game in Round 19 against Fremantle aged 21; he had two kicks. Crow won the reserves Best & Fairest for Collingwood twice in 2004 and 2008. Justin’s sister is Olympian Kim Brennan (nee Crow) who won a gold medal in the single sculls (2016), silver in the double sculls and bronze in the single sculls (2012). Since finishing playing Justin has worked at Essendon as a high performance manager and is now Head of Human Performance for Melbourne Victory.

 

 

Dermott Brereton – Dermie has been mentioned earlier in the obscure sides for his stint at Collingwood. Number 47 was his first number and he made his debut in a semi final against North Melbourne. Looking online I see Dermott was named on the interchange on the Friday and in Monday’s Age was named as an late in for defender David O’Halloran, however Michael Moncrief was already an omission for the match after Hawthorn had lost the previous week’s final by 58 points. Dermott had 13 kicks five marks and five goals on debut. In the Preliminary Final against Carlton Brereton had three kicks for zero goals. Dermott moved to Number 23 in 1983 and established himself as a star of the game over 211 games with 189 and 427 goals for Hawthorn, seven games for seven goals at Sydney and 15 games for 30 goals at Collingwood. He won a Best & Fairest in 1985 and is member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame and is of course a five time day and night premiership player.

 

 

Josh Deluca – In 2019 the mid-season draft was brought back for the first time since 1993. At the time of the draft Carlton was on the bottom of the ladder and selected ex-Fremantle player Deluca with Pick 1. Deluca had played four games for Fremantle in 2017, but was a WAFL premiership player at Peel in 2016 and 2017. After being delisted at the end of 2017, he was a premiership player at Subiaco in 2018 and won a Simpson Medal as best player for WA in a 2019 state game against South Australia. Deluca was 23 at the time, played his first game for Carlton in Round 18 and played the last six games of the season. He kicked four goals and averaged 12 disposals. Despite having played the last six games and relocated, Deluca was delisted at season’s end.

 

 

Chris Dalkin – Dalkin was recruited from country zone Ararat and debuted in Round 4, 1981 aged 20. Dalkin played ten games in his first year, five games in 1983, missed all of 1984 due to injury and three games in 1985. He was also a handy cricketer and toured Pakistan in 1981 with the Australian Under 19 team and played in three tests. His best bowling was 5/90 including the wickets of Saleem Malik and Rameez Raja; he also scored a half century. Another interesting name on that tour was Tim May.

 

 

Josh Bruce – Bruce was an original GWS Giant having being selected from Eastlake in the ACT as a Zone Selection to play in their TAC Cup team in 2010. Bruce debuted in Round 5, 2012 and played three games for two goals. In 2013 he played 11 games mainly as a tall defender for one goal. In 2014 Bruce was traded to St Kilda for Pick 48 and played ten games for four goals with three of those in the second last round. Bruce played as a permanent forward in 2015 and won St Kilda’s goal kicking with 50 goals. After 99 games for 168 goals Bruce was traded to the Western Bulldogs in 2020, where he has since played 42 games for 63 goals including a bag of ten on Good Friday 2021.

 

 

Hewago Paul Oea – Oea was born in Papua New Guinea and is the first overseas developed player to play in the AFL. Oea original team is listed as Gordons Kokofas and first learnt the game at the age of 12 in Port Moresby. ‘Ace’ played for Papua New Guinea at age of 15 in 2017 and was one of their best players in the Grand Final that helped PNG win their third International Cup, he also achieved All International honours. He moved to Queensland and played for Broadbeach in 2016, was then selected for the Queensland Under 16 side and kicked five goals in a Queensland State Championship game and four goals against the Northern Territory. As a result Ace entered the AFL Academies via Gold Coast in 2018 and was selected as a Category B International Rookie in 2020.  Oea was selected against Collingwood in Round 16, 2022 and kicked a goal in his first two games. He played five games in 2022.  Our esteemed editor Jarrod Landells wrote a great story in March 2022 on Ace and other PNG players, you can read it HERE

 

 

Laurence Angwin – Angwin was an exciting 200cm ruck/forward when drafted by Adelaide with Pick 7 in the 2000 Draft, however injuries and homesickness saw him delisted at end of 2001. In 2002 Angwin played for Box Hill and was then given another chance by Carlton with Pick 17 in the 2003 Rookie Draft. Angwin debuted for Carlton in Round 14, 2003 and showed promise over four games with six goals (three games for two goals in each game). There was hope that Angwin may be a player on the rise with his untapped talent, however he was involved  in off-field issues including burglary of items from teammate Karl Norman’s house. In Round 2, 2004 it was claimed Angwin and Norman arrived at the club training under the influence of ecstasy. Norman admitted to it but Angwin denied the claim, however after a drug test proved positive, he was sacked from Carlton. Angwin was seen as a wasted talent and later played in 2013 for Ouyen United with Damian Cupido and Relton Roberts.

 

 

Aaron Black – Black probably proved this year in one game that he was player that should have played more than one game but sadly is unlikely too. Black made his debut in 2010 for West Perth aged 17 and was 180cm midfielder. Black won a Sandover Medal in 2014 aged 21. There are experts in the West that read this that could advise if he was unlucky not to be drafted around this time between his debut and Sandover Medal (the only bit I found related in 2018 which mentioned he lacked a yard but by then was 24). Black that got his opportunity in 2022 for West Coast aged 29 as a Covid-19 top-up player. He played in Round 2 against North Melbourne at Marvel as one of six West Coast debutants. Black had 15 disposals and kicked a goal. Black returned to West Perth for remainder of the year where he has been captain since 2018 and helped the club to a flag in 2022.

 

 

Mark Eustice – Eustice joined Essendon from Strathmore as a 17 year old in 1980 and played 137 games from 1980-1991. Eustice played 29 games at Essendon from 1980-1984 and left a strong Essendon side for more opportunities at Richmond where he played 62 games from 1985-1988. Eustice was sacked mid-1988 by Richmond to give younger players senior opportunities and joined Sydney from 1988-1991 for 46 games. Eustice started in Number 47 before he moved to Number 19 at Essendon but struggled for games with likes of Watson, Thompson, Ezard, Williams ahead of him. In his first three years at Richmond he only missed eight games. In 1988 he played six of the first eight games before he was sacked and played the last five games for Sydney.

 

 

Bernie Harris – Bernie is four years younger than brother Leon and 2cm taller; Bernie was played as more of a small forward. He had three years at Fitzroy for 46 games and 60 goals before he joined Brisbane as an inaugural Bear in 1987 and played 56 games for 58 goals from 1987 to mid-1990.Bernie holds the distinction of kicking Brisbane’s first ever VFL/AFL goal. Bernie best return was six goals against St Kilda in 1987. In 1990 Bernie played seven games in the first nine rounds which included four goals in Round 1 and three goals against Geelong in what was his second last game for Brisbane; in his last game he had 23 disposals against Footscray. He left Brisbane in mid-1990 and was taken by St Kilda with Pick 33 in the mid-season draft. Harris made his debut in Round 14, 1990 for St Kilda and played five games for zero goals with a best of 21 disposals.

 

 

Renato Serafini – Renato is about five years older than Laurie and approx. the same height. Unlike Laurie, Renato played as a forward and made his debut in 1971 in the Number 47 jumper. Renato moved to Number 10 in 1972 and in his fourth game he kicked six goals against St Kilda, which was an equal personal best. He played 81 games for Fitzroy for 117 goals with a best of 34 goals in 1975. In 1977 Serafini played Round 3 against Footscray but mid-year transferred to Carlton and played four more games from Round 16. Laurie debuted for Fitzroy in Round 15, 1977 but unfortunately the brothers did not play with or against each other.

 

 

Barry Standfield – Barry is one of three footballers I can see from the great township of Fish Creek, the most famous of which is probably Wayne Weidemann. Fish Creek is pretty town with a population of just over 800 and is listed among locations featuring ‘big things’ in Australia for having the ‘Big Dead Fish’ on top of the hotel. Standfield made his debut as a 20 year old in 1990 and had the ability to play at either end. After five games in 1990, he moved to Number 17 and played five more. From 1992-1995 Standfield played 85 from 94 games but after just three games in 1996 he was traded to Adelaide. He started 1997 well as a forward and kicked five goals in his first match and did so again three weeks later. After a promising start (13 games for 23 goals) the goals dried up and he was dropped in Round 17; he missed out on finals and a premiership. Standfield did not play in 1998 and was delisted after 111 games and 61 goals.

 

 

Jay Van Berlo – Jay is the two years younger brother of former Adelaide captain Nathan. Though Nathan was an onballer he was only 2cm smaller than Jay who played as a third tall. Jay was drafted from West Perth with Pick 62 of the 2009 Rookie Draft. He could play at either end and ran out in 32 games for ten goals; 2010 was his best year with 18 games and four goals in a match his best haul.

 

 

Some of the forgotten 47s are Dean Howard (Adel) Simon Hose (Bris) Sandy Hyslop (Coll), Corey Dell’olio (Ess), Jamie Merillo (Freo), Des O’Dwyer (Melb), Michael Passmore (NM), Jarrad Irons (PA), Greg Hamilton (Rich), Brendan Littler (St.K), Simon Phillips (Syd) and Gary Irvine (Foots).

 

 

 

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