Almanac Teams: Second Eighteen (1980- )

 

 

 

 

A team of more obscure/lesser known players to wear the Number 18 jumper since 1980.

 

 

Here’s my second team of players to wear the Number 18, mostly from 1980 onwards but I have made exceptions, such as Ross Oakley in Number 12.

 

 

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:           Greg Hutchinson (Melb)      Luke McPharlin (Haw)        Grant Thomas (NM)

 

CHB:       Peter Bradbury (Coll)            Rodney Maynard (Adel)      Peter Worsfold (Bris)

 

C:             Brad Lloyd (Haw)                  Daniel Cross (Melb)              Michael Dunstan (Fitz)

 

CHF:       Tony Elshaug (Coll)               Lee Walker (Coll)                  Mario Turco (NM)

 

FF:           Peter Jonas (NM)                  Kent Kingsley (Rich)             Brad Moran (NM)

 

Ruck:      Glenn McLean (Coll)             Merv Keane (Rich)                Sean Denham (Geel)

 

Interchange:  Leigh Carlson (Fitz), Brad Ebert (WCE), Kevin Heath (Carl), Jimmy Toumpas (PA)

 

 

No players from Fremantle, Gold Coast, GWS, St Kilda, Sydney or the Western Bulldogs.

 

 

 

Games in Number 18 (Years played)

Greg Hutchinson 15 (1982-1984)

Luke McPharlin 12 (2000-2001)

Grant Thomas 7 (1984)

Peter Bradbury 23 (1986-1987)

Rodney Maynard 81 (1991-1995)

Peter Worsfold 31 (1991-1993)

Brad Lloyd 11 (1998-1999)

Daniel Cross 39 (2014-2015)

Michael Dunstan 38 (1993-1994)

Tony Elshaug 6 (1988)

Lee Walker 16 (1995-1997)

Mario Turco 2 (1980)

Peter Jonas 33 (1981-1984)

Kent Kingsley 3 (2007)

Brad Moran 3 (2006-2007)

Glenn McLean 2 (1984)

Merv Keane 152 (1978-1984)

Sean Denham 42 (1988-1991)

Leigh Carlson 75 (1981-1984)

Brad Ebert 35 (2008-2009)

Kevin Heath 78 (1976-1980)

Jimmy Toumpas 10 (2016-2017)

 

 

Greg Hutchinson – Hutchinson played 96 games from 1975-1984, wearing jumper numbers 52, 43 and 18. His best season was 1978 for 21 games and in his last season he captained a reserves premiership. Hutchinson was an assistant coach at Melbourne when Neil Balme was sacked in 1997 and was appointed caretaker coach. He coached 13 games for three wins including a win in his first game as coach. Hutchinson went on to Richmond and St Kilda as an assistant coach.

 

 

Luke McPharlin – McPharlin started at Hawthorn in 2000 after being Pick 10 in 1999 but after two years of injuries and homesickness was traded to Fremantle. What is sometimes forgotten is McPharlin was part of the deal (with Trent Croad) to Fremantle for Pick 1 Luke Hodge, Pick 20 Daniel Elstone and Pick 36 Sam Mitchell. While Croad returned to Hawthorn two years later, McPharlin was a Fremantle success story.

 

 

Grant Thomas – Thomas is best known as a Saints player and coach, he played 72 games from 1978-1983 and wore four numbers including 18. In 1984 Thomas moved to North Melbourne where he wore Number 18 again, he played seven games for one goal before moving to Fitzroy for one game in 1985. After his playing career Thomas had a successful coaching career at Warrnambool for four premierships before becoming Football Manager at St Kilda and then taking over from Malcolm Blight as senior coach from mid-2001 until 2006. Thomas was able to take the Saints to a Preliminary Final before being sacked after again making the finals in 2006.

 

 

Peter Bradbury – Bradbury played 49 games for Essendon between 1983-1986, playing in the ’83 Grand Final and a premiership in 1984. After missing out in 1985, Bradbury played in Round 4, 1986 but was dropped after collecting just seven disposals and then traded to Collingwood to free up some money for Geoff Raines and Mike Richardson. Bradbury played his first game in Round 8 and played all but two games for the 1986 season. In 1987 Bradbury played 11 games before retiring at end of year aged 29.

 

 

Rodney Maynard – Maynard was a cult figure when he started in the Adelaide Crows inaugural team with his mullet, moustache, and from memory he wore long sleeves a lot and had great run and dash. Maynard was a very good player, he kicked three goals in Adelaide’s first match from half back and was a regular in Adelaide’s early years. Maynard was the first player to play 50 games for Adelaide but after an injury interrupted 1995, Maynard retired aged 28 with 81 games and 24 goals.

 

 

Peter Worsfold – Peter is the younger brother of West Coast star John, he was drafted in 1990 with Pick 25. Worsfold debuted in 1991, he played 10 games for 13 goals in the season, providing a goal in nine of the 10 games and also played in the 1991 reserves premiership. He played 12 games in 1992 but was suspended for six weeks in the last game for a brutal hit on Ken Hinkley. Worsfold struggled for regular matches in 1993, he ran out for nine games before being delisted after 31 games and 24 goals.

 

 

Brad Lloyd – Brad is the older brother of Matthew (by three years) but smaller at 183cm. Lloyd won the Gardiner medal for Hawthorn in 1997 as a supplementary listed player and was drafted with Pick 67 in the 1997 Draft. Lloyd played eight games in his first year including the last six and then three in 1999 before being delisted. Lloyd returned to Williamstown where he was captain from 2003-2006. He moved into football administration being recruiting officer at Fremantle and is now Head of Football at Carlton.

 

 

Daniel Cross – Cross played 210 games for the Western Bulldogs from 2002-2013 and won a Best & Fairest in 2008. He played 13 games in 2013 and spent nine weeks in the reserves in the middle of the year. It was announced that Cross would not be retained for 2014. Cross joined new coach Paul Roos at Melbourne as a delisted free agent. Aged 31, he was bought in for experience and a professional attitude both on and off the field in preparing for a match. Cross played 17 games in 2014 and every match in 2015 before he retired.

 

 

Michael Dunstan – Dunstan joined Fitzroy in 1993 from South Fremantle, coming in as Pick 40 in the 1992 Draft. Dunstan played Round 1 against Carlton and kicked two goals with his first two kicks, but his third goal was the best. With scores level he marked 30 metres out and slotted the ball to give Fitzroy a six point win. Dunstan played 38 out of 44 games for Fitzroy but decided to go back home to WA and joined West Coast, however he only played five more games due to injuries.

 

 

Tony Elshaug – Elshaug started off at Melbourne as a goal kicking forward pocket/second rover playing 66 games for 92 goals. After five seasons at Melbourne he swapped over to Essendon where he had four seasons for 65 games and 75 goals including the 1985 Premiership. Elshaug started the 1988 season with Essendon before swapping over to Collingwood before the then June 30 deadline. Elshaug made his debut in Round 14 aged 28 and played the next six games for three goals before being dropped for the finals and delisted at end of the year. Surprisingly Elshaug was drafted by St Kilda with Pick 29 in 1989’s Preseason draft (then held just prior to start of the season) but retired two weeks into the season. Elshaug went on to coach Dandenong to a VFA/VFL premiership in 1991 as a playing coach, then spent time as an assistant coach under Denis Pagan at North Melbourne from 1994-2002 and Carlton from 2003-2006. He then filled roles as a development coach and later list manager at St Kilda from 2007 to 2018.

 

 

Lee Walker – Walker looked like being a very good CHF at Collingwood except for his dodgy knees. Walker was Pick 19 in 1992 for West Coast but struggled with injuries and breaking through into a very good West Coast side with players Jason Ball and Mitchell White ahead of him. Walker was traded to Collingwood for Pick 12 and showed early signs of his talent and mobility at 197cm. Walker played seven of the first nine games before he suffered a knee injury. Walker played eight games in 1996 and kicked a goal in every game he played but still had injury problems. Walker played Round 1 in 1997 but broke down again for his third knee reconstruction and never played another game despite being redrafted in 1998.

 

 

Mario Turco – Turco was a cult figure at North Melbourne, he played nine games in three years. Turco was recruited after a successful career in the WAFL as a half forward/onballer. Turco wore 18 for two games in his first year but did not play a game in 1981 and in 1982 he wore Number 35 for seven games before he returned to the WAFL.

 

 

Peter Jonas – Jonas was a talented player at North Melbourne who unfortunately was injury plagued. Jonas started off at North Melbourne in 1981 after an impressive career in the SANFL where he won a Best & Fairest aged 19 in 1979. Jonas in Number 18 played 33 games in four years before swapping to Number 45 in 1985, which had an instant effect as he played all 24 games for 31 goals with a personal best of seven. Between 1986-1988 Jonas only played 25 games. His injuries included two broken legs, a broken arm, hand and collarbone. He finished with 82 games and then coached Central Districts between 1998-2000, they won a premiership in 2000 before Jonas went on to be an assistant coach at St Kilda and Sydney.

 

 

Kent Kingsley – Kent along with his twin brother Wade were traded by Port Adelaide in 1996 for Paul Geister. Wade never played a game while Kent played 12 at North Melbourne before being traded to Geelong. At Geelong Kingsley won Geelong’s goal kicking between 2002-2005 with his best being 57 goals in a year and eight goals in a match against his former team North Melbourne. Kingsley could have been named in the ‘Best of’ side, except it already had a glut of tall forwards. A poor 2006 season where he kicked 10 goals in nine games saw Kingsley delisted after 110 games and 227 goals. Kingsley was drafted by Richmond in preseason draft but in a poor Richmond side he only played three games for two goals and was delisted at the end of the year.

 

 

Brad Moran – Moran was born in England and lived there until aged 15 where his family moved to Queensland. He was drafted in 2004 as 201cm forward/ruckman. He played his first game in 2006 and had a great outing with 21 disposals and a Rising Star nomination. After three games between 2006-07 at North Melbourne, Moran was traded to Adelaide where he played 18 games in three years. One fact that makes Moran unique is that he was the first player to wear Number 18 after Wayne Carey and when he went to Adelaide he wore Number 2…again after Carey.

 

 

Glenn McLean – McLean started at Melbourne in 1980 as an 18 year old in the ruck. After 3 games in his first two years, McLean assumed the role of the Number 1 ruck playing 15 games in 1982 and every game in 1983 and finishing 5th in Best & Fairest, sharing the ruck with Peter Moore. Moore though was on his way to winning a Brownlow in 1984 and after two early game in 1984 McLean requested a trade to Collingwood. This took several weeks and ended up in the Supreme Court before it was resolved when McLean was eventually swapped for Tony Keenan. McLean would play Round 15 & 16 but struggled in both games and was dropped and spent all of 1985 in reserves before being sacked in January 1986 with four other players including Graeme Allan.

 

 

Merv Keane – Keane made the Best of 18 team as three-time premiership player, Richmond Team of the Century member and utillity capable of playing half back or ruck rover over his 238 games. Keane though could have played for Melbourne. Keane was recruited from Wycheproof and at his first training session he had arrived late and being country boy in the city, he was not familiar with Melbourne traffic and was late for training. After getting changed he asked where the players were and was told they were doing a lap of The Tan. After running a lap he saw a group of footballers doing a skills session at Gosch’s Paddock so thinking they must be his new Richmond teammates he joined in. After the session finished the players ran back to change and instead of turning right to go back to Punt Road they turned left to go to the MCG. Keane got back to the rooms and realised he had trained with Melbourne and was told to go back and see Alan Schwab as Melbourne did not want him. After his AFL career finished he coached Sturt and was long-time assistant coach and recruiter at Essendon.

 

 

Sean Denham – Denham started his career in 1987 with Geelong wearing Number 58, he moved to Number 18 in 1988 and played 42 games in four years as a rover but struggled for games behind Hocking, Couch, Bairstow, Scott, Bews and Malakellis. Denham was traded to Essendon for John Barnes in 1992 in one of the great trades for two sides. Denham would play 142 games for Essendon from 1992-2000 as a tagging onballer, having some great battles with the premier onballers of the league especially Greg Williams.

 

 

Leigh Carlson – Carlson was a regular for Collingwood from his debut late in 1978 to 1981, playing in both the 1979 and 1980 grand finals on the wing and generally always in long sleeves. In 1981 Carlson played for Collingwood against North Melbourne then played again for Collingwood in the Escort Cup on the Tuesday but by Saturday he was at Fitzroy, having been swapped with Des Herbert for Warwick Irwin. Carlson played the rest of the year for Fitzroy including the finals campaign where they lost to Collingwood by one point in the semi final. Carlson was a regular for Fitzroy on the wing in his trademark long jumper, moustache and pace. He played 17 games in 1982, all 24 games including finals in 1983, and 19 games in 1984 which at age 26 was his last year. He must have being a very good player in the wet as I remember the Coodabeen Champions used to say that a lot (bit like ‘Pendlebury has a basketball background’) Unsure why he finished up in 1984 as his form suggests he was regular player.

 

 

Brad Ebert – Ebert is part of South Australian footy royalty; his dad Craig played 112 games for Port Adelaide, his uncle Russell is a legend of 392 games for Port and 25 for North Melbourne. His grandfather on his mother’s side is Trevor Obst who won the 1967 Magarey Medal and was also the son of a Port legend Ken Obst, also his cousin is Andrew Obst who played 149 games for Melbourne (1990-1997) and 90 for Port Adelaide. Ebert had hoped to stay in Adelaide with Adelaide’s Pick 10 but was disappointed when Adelaide made a surprise pick in schoolboy from Geelong called Patrick Dangerfield. Ebert went to West Coast with Pick 13 and spent the first two years at West Coast wearing 18, he then wore Number 5 for the next years there before he joined Port Adelaide (as he was seemingly destined to do) in 2012. Ebert played 76 games for West Coast and 260 games in total before he retired after the 2020 finals due to several concussion issues.

 

 

Kevin Heath – Heath started his career at Hawthorn and played 140 games between 1968-1975 including the 1971 Premiership. Heath was traded to Carlton in 1976 where he provided good service across half back over 78 games between 1976-80 before retiring at age 30. Heath is apparently the only player ever to appear as a Cleo Centrefold (May 1978).

 

 

Jimmy Toumpas – Toumpas was a junior star in South Australia and played in a premiership with Woodville-West Torrens in 2011 in just his fifth appearance aged 17. Toumpas continued that form into 2012 and was considered a top draft prospect. Myth has it that with Pick 4 Melbourne were tossing up between Ollie Wines or Toumpas and went with Toumpas as Wines was too much like his great friend and teammate Jack Viney who was slated to be picked as a Father-Son selection. Unfortunately Toumpas never kicked on in the AFL and played 27 games in three years at Melbourne before he was traded to Port Adelaide in 2015. Toumpas played two years at Port Adelaide for 10 games before he was delisted in 2018.

 

 

Some of the forgotten Number 18s are Todd Banfield (Bris), Glenn Bowyer and Kristian Jaksch (Carl), Brad Plain (Coll), Michael Brown (Freo) Andrew MacNish (Geel), Andy Bennett and Jamie Bennett (Haw), Craig Nettelbeck (Melb) Mark Harwood (PA), Simon Clark and Stuart Edwards (Rich), Matthew Lloyd (Syd), Cameron Faulkner (WB).

 

 

 

The Tigers (Covid) Almanac 2020 will be published in 2021. It will have all the usual features – a game by game account of the Tigers season – and will also include some of the best Almanac writing from the Covid winter.  Pre-order HERE

 

 

 

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