Almanac Teams: Pagan Jewell(s); Obscure 39s (1980- )

 

 

A team of more obscure/lesser known players to wear the Number 39 jumper since 1980.

 

 

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

 

 

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:        Damien Hardwick (Ess)             John Mrakov (Rich)                      Will Young (Adel)

 

CHB:    Ryan Davis (GCS)                        Michael Clark (Freo)                     Ryan Pagan (NM)

 

C:          Mark Alves (Melb)                       Bill Mildenhall (St.K)                    Murray Browne (Coll)

 

CHF:    Jamie Bond (Fitz)                        Mark Lisle (NM)                             Gerard Healy (Melb)

 

FF:        Jarrod Cameron (WCE)             Warwick Capper (Syd/Bris)         Nick Jewell (Rich)

 

Ruck:    Jason Millar (Bris)                      Alex Woodward (Haw)                  Tony Liberatore (Foots/WB)

 

Interchange: Paul Abbott (Haw/Fitz), Fatui Ataata (Coll), Victor Hugo (SM), Dale Thomas (Carl)

 

No players from Port Adelaide, Geelong or GWS.

 

 

 

Games in Number 39 (Years played)

Damien Hardwick 65 (1994-1997)

John Mrakov 8 (1991)

Will Young 2 (2010)

Ryan Davis 21 (2016-2017)

Michael Clark 1 (1999)

Ryan Pagan 3 (2000)

Mark Alves 4 (1977)

Bill Mildenhall 77 (1974-1982)

Murray Browne 1 (1981)

Jamie Bond 1 (1991)

Mark Lisle 11 (1984)

Gerard Healy 50 (1979-1981)

Jarrod Cameron 12 (2019-2020)

Warwick Capper 90 at Sydney (1983-1987, 1991) 34 at Brisbane (1988-1990)

Nick Jewell 1 (1997)

Jason Millar 1 (1991)

Alex Woodward 2 (2014)

Tony Liberatore 279 (1987-2002)

Paul Abbott 85 at Hawthorn (1984-1991) 26 at Fitzroy (1992-1993)

Fatui Ataata 0 (1983-1986)

Victor Hugo 2 (1980)

Dale Thomas 101 (2014-2019)

 

 

 

Damien Hardwick – Hardwick has been involved in an AFL premierships at five different clubs; I am unsure if this has been done by anybody else. Hardwick started at North Melbourne U19s where he was part of their 1991 premiership. He did not make North Melbourne’s senior list and instead played for Springvale in 1992 and was picked by Essendon with Pick 87 in the 1992 National Draft on the recommendation of then Reserves coach Denis Pagan. Hardwick was given Number 39 and wore that for 65 games before he changed to Number 11 in 1998. He played 153 games at Essendon and won a premiership in 2000, All Australian the same year and a Best & Fairest in 1998. Hardwick was then traded to Port Adelaide after the 2001 Grand Final for Picks 31 and 47. At Port Adelaide he played 54 games in three seasons – his last game was another premiership in 2004. Hardwick joined new Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson as an assistant where he was involved in the 2008 flag. In 2010 Hardwick was appointed coach of Richmond where he is closing on 300 games coached in addition to three premierships.

 

 

John Mrakov – Mrakov debuted for Collingwood in Round 18, 1987 but did not play his next game until Round 1 1989. He also didn’t play in 1990 and was delisted from Collingwood after three games. Mrakov was drafted by Richmond with Pick 27 in the 1991 Preseason Draft and played his first game against Collingwood in Round 8, 1991 where Richmond beat the reigning premiers by 57 points. He played eight games for Richmond at FB before he was delisted at the end of the year. He is best remembered for a match against Footscray in Round 22, 1991 where he wore a black armband on the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death.

 

 

Will Young – Young was recruited to Adelaide from Bungaree with Pick 72 in the 2008 Rookie Draft. Young debuted in Round 2, 2010 against Sydney and played his second game against Collingwood in Round 21, 2010. In his second match Young had two kicks, one mark and one goal and won a flat screen television from then Channel Ten commentator Matthew Lloyd for being Best on Ground. Collingwood won the match by three points in a low scoring contest. He was played as a defensive forward on Heritier Lumumba and kept him to five disposals, which impressed Lloyd. Young was dropped the following week and never played another game. For the record Scott Pendlebury got three Brownlow votes with his 30 disposals.

 

 

Ryan Davis – Davis was drafted with Pick 62 in the 2008 Rookie Draft to the West Coast Eagles as a NSW scholarship player from North Shore. Davis debuted in 2008 aged 18 and played 11 games for the year and three in the next year. In 2010 Davis joined Swan Districts where he played in a premiership and won Best & Fairest in his first post-Eagles season. Davis was rookie listed by Gold Coast with Pick 38 in the 2016 Draft aged 27. After six seasons off an AFL list, Davis played 19 games in 2016 but in 2017 played just two more games and was delisted. In total Davis played 35 games between ten years, with six of those years spent in the WAFL.

 

 

Michael Clark – Clark was a Zone Selection for Fremantle in 1995 but did not play a game until Round 11, 1999 where he played one game for one disposal. Clark was delisted at the end of the year and drafted by Collingwood but did not play a game for the Magpies. Michael is the son of former Australian test fast bowler Wayne Clark who played ten tests for Australia for 44 wickets. Michael himself went on to play Sheffield Shield cricket for Western Australia as a left arm quick. Michael played from 2002-2005 in Shield and one day matches, playing 17 shield matches for 49 wickets with a best bowling of 5/47. During this time Michael was coached by his father Wayne at WA.

 

 

Ryan Pagan – Ryan is son of legendary North Melbourne coach Denis Pagan. Pagan was rookie listed with Pick 52 in 1999. With several injuries at the start of the 2000 season Ryan was promoted to the senior list and debuted in Round 1 against West Coast aged 22 under his dad’s coaching. Pagan played the first three games of the year but none afterwards, his best game was his first with 11 disposals. Ryan’s promotion led to a falling out between friends in Denis and chair of selectors Mark Dawson which ended when Dawson left the club.

 

 

Mark Alves – Mark is ten years younger than Stan and first came to Melbourne in 1973 as a 16-year-old. Mark debuted in Round 16, 1977 aged 21, however by this time Stan had left for North Melbourne in 1977 so they never got to play in the same side together. Mark played four games for one goal with his best game 12 disposals against South Melbourne. Mark remained on the list in 1978 but did not play a game and moved to WA in 1979.

 

 

Bill Mildenhall – Mildenhall debuted in 1974 aged 21 for six games. His best seasons were 1976-1977 where he played 40 out of 44 games with his best game 34 disposals against Melbourne. Mildenhall is best known as an NBL referee; he started as an original in 1979 and officiated until 2011. Mildenhall refereed 945 games, including every Grand Final from 1987-2011. He also attended the 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney Olympics, he got to referee the Dream Team in the men’s as well as the Bronze Medal match for women’s basketball in 2000.

 

 

Murray Browne – Browne started his career as an 18-year-old in 1981 with one game against South Melbourne in Round 17 where he had 13 disposals. In 1982 Browne moved to Number 14 and played 47 games in five seasons with his best season 1984: 19 games including two finals where he got at least 20 disposals in both games. Browne played eight games in 1985 and was cleared to Fitzroy in 1986 where he played six games. Murray’s son Alex was drafted by Essendon with Pick 48 in 2010 where he played 11 games between 2011-2015 as a defender. Murray’s older brother is current Collingwood President Jeff Browne who was an AFL lawyer for 22 years.

 

 

Jamie Bond  – Sadly Jamie Bond wore Number 39 for Fitzroy instead of Number 7 because Michael Gale was already wearing it; perhaps if he was named ‘James’ instead of Jamie, he may have been given number (00)7. Bond was initially drafted by Hawthorn with Pick 78 in the 1988 National draft when Hawhorn said he was ‘For Their Eyes Only’. Bond only played reserves for the Hawks in 1989 and was delisted at the end of the year. He was picked up by Fitzroy in the 1991 Preseason Draft after MI6 refused to match the offer. Bond played his only game in Round 17, 1991 against Melbourne and was given a ‘Licence to Kill’ in the forward line. He had three kicks, three marks and a score of 1.1 before he returned to Maryborough on ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’.

 

 

Mark Lisle – Mark Lisle was the Scott Pendlebury of the 1980s: VFL career from a basketball background. Lisle played 19 games for Nunawading in the NBL in 1983 at an average of 2.5 points a game. Lisle joined North Melbourne in 1984 aged 21 and at 193cm played ruck/forward. In Lisle’s third game against Melbourne in Round 5 he kicked 6.2. He moved to Number 1 in 1985 and played 15 games as a ruck. From 1986-1989 Lisle played just 11 games and finished up with 37 games for 14 goals. Lisle captained Box Hill from 1991-1993 and made their Team of the Century; his son Jordan played 23 games for Hawthorn and Brisbane from 2011-2014.

 

 

Gerard Healy – Healy started his career at Melbourne in 1979 aged 18 playing mainly as a half forward. Healy played 50 games in the Number 39 in three seasons for 41 goals. He wore Number 3 in 1982 and had instant success in 21 games for 77 goals with two bags of eight. Healy kicked 37 goals in 1983 before he moved to a ruck rover role in 1984-1985. He ended up playing 130 games at Melbourne for 189 goals before he moved to Sydney having been recruited by then owner Dr Geoff Edelsten. Healy played 81 games for 87 goals at Sydney before retiring with a serious wrist injury. This still did not stop Collingwood drafting him with the last pick (#59) in the 1991 Preseason Draft. Healy remained retired with a list of honours that included the 1988 Brownlow Medal, five times VFL Team of the Year, 1984 Melbourne Best & Fairest, 1986-1988 Sydney Best & Fairest and 1988 Whitten & Simpson Medallist. Post Football Healy has become a prominent media commentator, Victorian state selector and then chair of selectors.

 

 

Jarrod Cameron – Jarrod is six years younger than brother Charlie and was drafted initially drafted by Brisbane with Pick 39 in the 2018 Draft but as he was a Next Generation Academy pick for West Coast, the Eagles were able to match the pick. Jarrod was a very similar player style to Charlie with the same pace and height. He debuted against Essendon Round 14, 2019 and kicked 2.2 and in Rounds 16-17 he kicked four goals in each of those matches but was dropped three weeks later. Cameron played just five games in 2020 for two goals, did not play in 2021 and was delisted at the end of the year.

 

 

Warwick Capper – Capper was recruited to the Swans from their zone in Oakleigh and debuted aged 20 against North Melbourne in 1983. Capper played just one game in 1983 but was a regular from 1984 over 29 games for 84 goals. Sydney hit top form under Tom Hafey and alongside recruits like Greg Williams and Gerard Healy, Capper kicked 92 goals in 1986 including a bag of 10 against Richmond and then 103 goals in 1987 which also included mark of the year over Chris Langford. Capper was persuaded to join Brisbane in 1988 but his form was not the same: 45 goals in 1988, 16 from 11 games in 1989 and 10 from five games in 1990. Capper returned to Sydney in 1991 but his (and the Swans’) form was not the same as 1987…he played 13 games for 38 goals was delisted after 124 career games and 388 goals. At the peak of his career, he released a single called ‘I only take what’s mine’ and post football his work has included an appearance on reality tv show Big Brother, photoshoot in Penthouse magazine, acting, stripping, escort services, boxing, promotional work as a ‘meter maid’ and a failed run as a Queensland state politician.

 

 

Nick Jewell – Jewell was drafted as a Father-Son pick by Richmond in 1995; his dad 1980 premiership coach Tony Jewell. Nick played as a utility in the reserves – able to play forward or back, he debuted against Fremantle in Round 19, 1997 and gathered five disposals. He was a member of Richmond’s 1997 Reserves Premiership and kicked one goal in the Grand Final but was delisted at the end of the year. Jewell was a talented cricketer who opened the batting for Victoria from 2002-2010 over 62 games, with 4,014 runs at an average 37.86; his highest score was 188.

 

 

Jason Millar – Millar was recruited from Caloundra and made his debut at age 20 in Round 2, 1991 against North Melbourne. He had eight disposals and six hit outs for the game. Millar would have an even more memorable night after the game and ended up in a Brisbane hospital. Millar was driving back from Carrara to Brisbane at 3:15am in Peter Worsfold’s car, failed to stop at a random breath test and then sped away from police of speeds up to 160km/h. He crashed into a wall, jumped a concrete barrier and fell nine metres – in the aftermath he broke both his jaw and wrist. Millar missed the remainder of the 1991 season and though he remained on Brisbane’s list for 1992-1993 he failed to play another game.

 

 

Alex Woodward – Woodward was drafted to Hawthorn with Pick 53 in the 2011 Draft. Woodward debuted aged 21 in Round 18, 2014 against Sydney and played the next week too with 15 disposals in Round 19. Woodward won the JJ Liston Medal in 2014 but his time at Hawthorn was restricted by two knee reconstructions. He was delisted at the end of 2015, rookie listed and delisted again at the end of 2016. Woodward joined Collingwood’s VFL team in 2017 but injured his knee again. Despite only playing eight games in 2018, he finished third in the JJ Liston Medal. Woodward would act as Collingwood runner in 2018 and during the Grand Final, he unfortunately blocked Jaidyn Stephenson’s path which allowed West Coast’s Elliott Yeo to kick a goal and hit the lead. In 2019 Woodward had his fifth ACL injury and retired from football; he is now involved with St Kilda’s AFLW program.

 

 

Tony Liberatore – Liberatore is the only player in AFL history to win a Morrish, Gardiner and Brownlow Medal. Liberatore won the U19 Morrish Medal in 1984 at North Melbourne and at Footscray he won the 1986 and 1988 Gardiner Medals and 1990 Brownlow Medal. Liberatore debuted in 1986 in Number 60 aged 20 and played four games for the year. Libba moved to Number 39 in 1987 and played 12 games but he only one game each year in 1988 and 1989. Coming into 1990 Libba had only played 18 games in four years and if it was not for a change of coach he would have been delisted. Liberatore played the first 19 games in 1990 with an average of 26 disposals before he missed the rest of the year with a knee injury. Coming into Brownlow night Liberatore was not considered one of the main chances, however he polled 18 Brownlow votes to win by one vote. Liberatore would prove a mainstay in the Bulldogs’ side as a rover and then reinvented as a tagger. At 163cm he was smallest player of his era, yet he laid the most tackles – at least 1,225, with 142 of them in 1994 and 11 the most in a game. Liberatore won the Best & Fairest in 1991 and made the Bulldogs team of the century. His son Tom has played over 170 games, won a premiership and Best & Fairest at the Bulldogs.

 

 

Paul Abbott – Abbott was a very reliable Hawthorn player in the mould of Michael Byrne and Michael McCarthy who was a mobile tall able to play ruck/forward or defence. Abbott debuted in 1984 and played two games for the year. After nine games including a final in 1985, Abbott played 20 games in 1986 and became a premiership player. Abbott played in the 1987 Grand Final and in 1988 he became a two-time premiership player; he kicked six goals against Melbourne in the Grand Final. Before the 1988 Grand Final Abbott had played 70 games for 22 goals but kicked only 23 goals in his remaining 41 games. Abbott missed all of 1990 with a broken leg, he was then traded for Pick 15 in 1991 to Fitzroy. Abbott played every game in 1992 but injuries restricted him to four games in 1993 and he retired aged 29.

 

 

Fatui Ataata – I actually thought Fatui played a game for Collingwood as I remember seeing him on the news but maybe I saw him play in Tuesday night Escort Cup match, I also think he was named emergency a few times. Ataata played 35 reserves games from 1983-1986 as a tall defender. Of Tongan descent, Fatui was a cult figure of the Collingwood reserves before Danny Seow came along. Fatui came runner up in Collingwood’s U19 Best & Fairest in 1982.

 

 

Victor Hugo – Hugo was a 19^th century French poet, novelist and politician, with his most famous works Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. With access to a time machine Hugo at age 26 joined the Swans in 1980 after some time in Narrandera. He played Rounds 1 and 2 of the 1980 season; six disposals in Round 1 and one disposal in Round 2 was his literal output. Hugo was dropped and returned mid-year to Narrandera where he won the league goal kicking in 1985. Hugo has a train station named after him in metropolitan Paris; possibly the only VFL two-gamer with such an honour. In addition there are also statues of him in Paris and Rome, a (centre?) square in Paris, a park in Havana and a bust in Beijing amongst the many tributes to a modern day Renaissance Man.

 

 

Dale Thomas – Thomas joined Collingwood as Pick 2 from the 2005 Draft and had an immediate impact as a skilful, exciting half forward in the Number 13 jumper. Thomas played 157 games at Collingwood from 2006-2013 including a premiership in 2010 and All Australian guernsey in 2011. To the shock of Collingwood fans Thomas joined Carlton in 2014 to play under his old coach Mick Malthouse. Thomas wore Number 39 in honour of his mate Heath Shaw and he played primary as a HBF like Shaw. Thomas did not have the same impact as he did at Collingwood and retired in 2019 after a total of 258 games and 155 goals.

 

 

Some of the forgotten Number 39s are Jonathon Ross (Adel), Wayde Twomey (Carl), Matthew Lokan (Coll), Matthew Banks (Ess), Shane Halas (Fitz), Casey Sibosado (Freo), Nigel Kol (Geel), Stephen Rode (Haw), Doug Koop (Melb), Warren Campbell and Glenn Gorman (NM), Greg Conlan (Rich), Mark Foyster (his Wikipedia page is interesting – St.K), Michael Lockman (Syd), Bruce West (Foots).

 

 

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.

One-off financial contribution – CLICK HERE.

Regular financial contribution (monthly EFT) – CLICK HERE.