Almanac Teams: The Long(muir) and the Short of it; Obscure 45s (1980- )

 

 

 

 

A team of more obscure/lesser known players to wear the Number 45 jumper since 1980.

 

 

Here’s my second team of players to wear the Number 45, 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:        Shane Heard (Ess)                    Steven May (GCS)                     Brad Wira (Freo/Foots)

 

CHB:    Troy Longmuir (Melb)             Warwick Green (St.K)               Les Parish (Fitz)

 

C:          Patrick Naish (Rich)                 Matt Priddis (WCE)                  Andrew Wills (Geel)

 

CHF:    Josh Carmichael (Coll)             Jordon Bourke (Bris)               Robert Scott (Geel)

 

FF:        Mark Mercuri (Ess)                  Quinten Lynch (WCE)              Jayden Short (Rich)

 

Ruck:    Jason Holmes (St.K)                Cameron Ling (Geel)                Paul Kelly (Syd)

 

Interchange: Rod Austin (Carl), Scott Harding (Bris), Conor McKenna (Ess), Damian Peverill (Ess)

 

No players from Adelaide, GWS, Hawthorn, North Melbourne or Port Adelaide.

 

 

 

Games in Number 45 (Years played)

Shane Heard 11 (1991)

Steven May 17 (2011-2012)

Brad Wira 1 at Fremantle (1995) 21 at Footscray (1996)

Troy Longmuir 17 (1998-1999)

Warwick Green 4 (1987)

Les Parish 4 (1980)

Patrick Naish 2 (2019)

Matt Priddis 2 (2006)

Andrew Wills 16 (1991)

Josh Carmichael 7 (2022)

Jordon Bourke 6 (2014-2015)

Robert Scott 12 (1987)

Mark Mercuri 3 (1992)

Quinten Lynch 11 (2002)

Jayden Short 16 (2016)

Jason Holmes 5 (2015-2016)

Cameron Ling 246 (2000-2011)

Paul Kelly 10 (1990)

Rod Austin 4 (1972)

Scott Harding 14 (2006)

Conor McKenna 79 (2015-2020)

Damian Peverill 9 (2001)

 

 

 

Shane Heard – Heard was recruited from Homers Football club in Horsham and debuted as an 18 year old in 1977. A regular for Essendon under Kevin Sheedy, Heard was one of the best taggers in the league. He was a member of the 1984 premiership team but missed out in 1985 due to injury. Heard was involved in an unusual incident in 1985 for a State of Origin game against South Australia. Not selected in the Victorian squad, Heard was ‘smuggled’ over on a different flight for a role on John Platten. Teammates found out just hours before the match when a curtain in the change rooms was opened with Shane Heard standing behind it. The SA team and viewers only found out when he ran out. Victoria won by 57 points but the match was forfeited as they had played an extra player. Heard retired after 1987 aged 29 but was lured back for one more season in 1991 with Pick 58 in the pre season draft aged 32. Heard played eleven games and after five games he was selected in the Victoria B squad against Tasmania but missed the game during to injury. He played a total of 168 games.

 

 

Brad Wira – Wira was a trailblazer; the first Docker ahead of the likes of Peter Bell and Adam McPhee to start at Fremantle, head east and return back. Wira debuted aged 23 with one game in 1995 in Round 12. He was traded to the Bulldogs in 1996 for Pick 13 and wore Number 45 in his first year before he moved to Number 24. Wira was a regular for the Bulldogs with 61 games in three seasons including two finals in 1998. In 1999 Wira was traded back to Fremantle for Kingsley Hunter. He played 33 games in the next three seasons for a total of 96 games. Wira was also involved in two unusual incidents in his career. The first in 1998 where he got suspended for two weeks for squeezing Garry Hocking’s testicles and in 1999 Wira was about to take a mark from an Adrian Fletcher kick when field umpire Peter Carey infamously intercepted with a strong chest mark of his own.

 

 

Troy Longmuir – Troy is two years older and at 185cm, 11 centimetres shorter than brother Justin. Troy was selected with Pick 22 in the 1997 Draft by Melbourne and debuted aged 18 in Round 9, 1998 against Essendon. In 1999 Troy played 13 games for Melbourne with a best game of 22 disposals. In 2000 he was traded to Fremantle for Pick 19 where he joined Justin also who had played one game in 1999. Both Troy and Justin were selected for Fremantle in Round 1, 2000. Troy played 55 games from 2000-2004 which included a final in 2003 and also a WAFL flag in 2003 for West Perth. Longmuir was traded to Carlton for Pick 67 and played 11 more games between 2005-2006 to finish with 83 in total.

 

 

Warwick Green – Green debuted for St Kilda in 1987 as a 20 year old and played Rounds 17-20. In 1988 he moved to Number 13 where he played five games for the year for a career total of nine. Green is best known as a journalist for The Age and Herald Sun as well as writer of excellent football biographies on Jim Stynes in 2012 and Neale Daniher in 2019; the latter won biography of the year in 2020 at the Australian Book Industry Awards. Green also wrote a book on paralympian and NDIS head Kurt Fearnley in 2014.

 

 

Les Parish – Parish joined Fitzroy in 1980 from Yarrawonga and played his first game in Round 10 aged 24. Parish only missed three games between 1981-1983 and played five finals in this period. Parish could play on ball or on a flank and had best haul of five goals in a game; his highest disposal total was 39. After 87 games and 52 goals including the first five games in 1985, Parish was traded to Melbourne due to salary cap restrictions. He debuted for the Dees in Round 13 and played seven games before he retired at the end of the year aged 30. Parish returned to Yarrawonga in 1986 and won Best & Fairests in 1986-1987 to go with 1977-1979. He was also known for multiple tattoos on his arm which, while not out of place now, was not very common in 1980s. Sadly Parish died from cancer in 1998.

 

 

Patrick Naish – Patrick is the son of Chris who played 161 games for Richmond and Port Adelaide. Naish was drafted by Richmond as Father-Son selection with Pick 34 in 2017 and debuted in Round 12, 2019. He played two games for one goal and averaged 20 disposals. In 2020 Naish moved to his father’s Number 6 but played only one game in 2020 and six in 2021 before he was delisted after nine games in total at Richmond. In 2022 Naish was offered a very late list spot – just prior to the season start – at West Coast. He played Rounds 1-2 in Number 36 before he moved to Number 28 in Round 3 (unsure as to why but Connor West wore Number 36 for the remainder of the year) and played 11 games for the season.

 

 

Matt Priddis – Priddis was picked up by the Eagles with Pick 36 in the 2006 Rookie Draft from Subiaco. Priddis debut aged 21 in Round 10, 2006 against Geelong and gathered 19 disposals. He played one more game in Round 12 for the year while the Eagles won the premiership. Priddis had his own win the same year with the Sandover Medal; as a result he was upgraded to West Coast’s senior list in 2007 and changed jumper to Number 11. Priddis had a great career for the Eagles: 240 games at an average of 26 disposals and six tackles a game. His best game was 45 disposals against Hawthorn in 2008 (which included 30 handballs). His career best tackles was 18 against Richmond in 2014. Priddis won a Brownlow in 2014, All Australian in 2015, and Best & Fairest in 2013.

 

 

Andrew Wills –Wills was a cult figure of the 1990s mainly for his shaved ‘egghead’ dome and some freakish goals, although this was more prevalent during his time at Fremantle than Geelong. Wills was a Geelong boy and debuted aged 19 in Round 7, 1991. He played 16 games in 1991 including three finals, mainly as a burst player from the interchange. Wills moved to Number 4 in 1992 and played 15 games including four finals and a Grand Final. After all 26 games and 28 goals including another Grand Final in 1994 Wills was enticed to join Fremantle in 1995 as an uncontracted player. Wills played his best football at Fremantle; 1997 was his best year with 15 Brownlow votes. After a poor 1999 Wills was delisted and taken by the Bulldogs with Pick 9 in the 2000 Preseason Draft. Wills played just one year at the Bulldogs and retired after 148 games – 59 at Geelong, 79 at Fremantle and ten at the Western Bulldogs.

 

 

Josh Carmichael – Carmichael has had a big rise as an AFL footballer in the last twelve months. From what I can read Carmichael did not play in the U18 NAB League set up but in 2021 Carmichael was playing for Merbein and then in 2022 tried his luck at West Adelaide. Carmichael had a great start to the season and was mentioned as a mid-season draft prospect and whilst working in a bottle shop was advised he had been selected by Collingwood with Pick 9. He made his debut in Round 17 against North Melbourne and gathered 14 disposals. Carmichael played as sub in his third game against Essendon and came on for Brayden Maynard in the third quarter. With Collingwood down by 21 points at the ten minute mark of the last quarter, Carmichael kicked two goals in the next six minutes and helped Collingwood to a four point win. He was dropped for the Qualifying Final, selected as the (unused) sub for the Semi Final before made an emergency for the Preliminary Final…he was also involved in a car accident with Beau McCreery on the way to the airport for the Sydney Final.

 

 

Jordon Bourke – Jordon is the son of former Geelong captain and Brisbane player Damian. Damian stayed in Brisbane after his retirement and Jordon captained Queensland to become Division 2 champions in the National U18s championships. Jordon was taken with Pick 63 in the 2013 rookie draft and was the first player drafted from the Lions Academy. He debuted in the last round of 2014 and played five games for Brisbane in 2015 for two goals. Bourke’s best game was his third with 16 disposals and eight marks.

 

 

Robert Scott – Scott debut as a 17 year old from Torquay in Number 50 in 1986 for two games. Scott moved to Number 45 in 1987 and played 12 games as rover/half forward. He moved to Number 8 in 1988 and had an immediate impact in the lower digit; he played twenty games and represented Victoria. Scott was a regular for Geelong from 1989-1993 and played in the 1989 and 1992 grand finals. In 1994 Scott played only nine games and was not selected during the finals, he was then traded to North Melbourne after 132 games for Brad Sholl and Pick 17. Scott played 113 games for North Melbourne from 1995-2000 and became a premiership player in 1996. Robert’s son Bailey was a member of the Gold Coast Academy and had a choice in 2018 of Gold Coast orGeelong/North Melbourne as a Father-Son selection. Bailey chose the Kangaroos and has played 55 games since his debut in 2019.

 

 

Mark Mercuri – Mercuri joined Essendon from Keilor Park and debuted in Round 10, 1992 against Carlton. He played three games in 1992 with his best 21 disposals against St Kilda. Essendon finished eighth in 1992 but blooded a new wave of ‘Baby Bombers’ in Mercuri (three games), Joe Misiti (two), James Hird (four), David Calthorpe (two) and Steven Alessio (five) who twelve months later were a major part of the 1993 flag. Mercuri moved to Number 2 in 1993 and became a premiership player at the age of 19; he kicked three goals and gathered 23 disposals. In the 2000 Grand Final, Mercuri had 22 disposals and kicked one goal. Mercuri retired in 2004 after 207 games, 242 goals and All Australian selection, Best & Fairest and runner up in the Brownlow in 1999.

 

 

Quinten Lynch – Lynch was drafted by West Coast with Pick 19 in the 2002 Rookie Draft. Lynch debuted in Round 12 and played 11 games for the year including one final. His best game was when he kicked five goals against Melbourne in his eighth appearance. In 2003 Lynch moved to Number 21 and did not play an AFL game, but won a WAFL flag with fellow Obscure 45s teammate Troy Longmuir. In 2004 he played 22 games, mainly as a key defender. Lynch kicked 31 goals in 2005 but did not play again after the Qualifying Final due to injury. In 2006 Lynch kicked 65 goals and became an AFL premiership player – he kicked three goals during the big dance. Lynch was a long kick, often kicking goals beyond 50 and was known for his pre-goalkicking routine of removing his glove which excited the home crowd especially when outside 50m. After 52 goals in 2007, Lynch never hit the same form with his best 33 goals in 2012 before he moved to Collingwood as a free agent in 2013 where he played 18 games for nine goals. Lynch played 227 games in total for 290 goals with a best of eight in a game.

 

 

Jayden Short – Short was drafted by Richmond with Pick 11 in the 2015 Rookie Draft and spent 2015 in the Richmond seconds. In 2016 he debuted in Round 2 against Collingwood as a small forward and kicked three goals. Short kicked six goals for the year but was switched to the backline halfway through the season where he managed to find more of the ball in his 16 total games. He moved to Number 15 in 2017 and again played 16 games but was dropped after Round 18 and was an emergency for the Grand Final. Short fought back well in 2018 and played 24 games for the year, he then became a premiership player in 2019 and again in 2020 – the latter was his best year to date as he won the Best & Fairest. Short has played 137 games for 27 goals.

 

 

Jason Holmes – Holmes was born in Chicago and played basketball, soccer, baseball and American Football in his youth. He played college basketball at Mississippi State from 2009 to 2013 and was invited to the AFL’s US draft combine in 2013. Holmes was signed by St Kilda as an International Rookie the same year. The 203cm ruck prospect spent 2014 playing for Sandringham, before he made his AFL debut aged 25 in Round 21, 2015 in a drawn match against Geelong. Holmes had career high seven disposals and 34 hit outs (a feat he performed twice). He played the last three games in 2015 and last two games of 2016 before he was delisted at end of 2017.

 

 

Cameron Ling – ‘The Mayor of Geelong’ was drafted by the Cats as a forward with Pick 38 in the 1999 Draft from St Josephs. Ling became one of the greatest taggers of the game over 246 appearances. He made his debut in Round 10, 2000 against Port Adelaide and was rarely out of the side from then on. Ling kicked 139 goals and had personal best of 39 disposals in a game. A three time premiership winner, he also captained the 2011 side, was All Australian in 2007 and Best & Fairest in 2004. Ling makes this team for an obscure/bizarre incident in 2002; while playing against Collingwood, Ling was on Nathan Buckley and was reported striking (which he received one week for), as Buckley was bleeding from the head. Buckley was also reported for misconduct for wiping the blood from his head on an opposition jumper – he was also suspended for a week.

 

 

Paul Kelly – Kelly was recruited to the Swans from the Wagga Tigers and debuted in Round 1, 1990 against Carlton with 12 disposals. Kelly played 17 games in 1990 with the last of those in Round 17 against St Kilda at Moorabbin. Kelly missed the flight home and had to take bus which he later said ‘From St Kilda to Kings Cross is 13 hours on a bus‘. In 1991 Kelly was given the honour of wearing Bob Skilton’s Number 14 and he became a star for the Swans and before too long he was appointed Sydney captain in 1993. Kelly led the Swans from 1993-2002 in 182 games and rarely did any dumb things as a player or captain. In 1995 Kelly came on in leaps and bounds, won the Brownlow Medal and was named All Australian. Kelly ended up playing 234 games for 200 goals with a best of five goals and 43 disposals. He won four Best & Fairests, was a three-time All Australian, five time AFK most courageous player and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2007. A little known lasting legacy at the Swans stems from 2002 when he taught the whole playing list how to make gravy – the rich red tomato sauce for the extra tang formed the perfect culinary and colour-based analogy for the ‘Bloods Culture’.

 

 

Rod Austin – Nicknamed ‘Curly’ because of his distinive hair, Austin debuted in Round 6, 1972 aged 19. He played four games in 1972 before he moved to Number 21 in 1973-1985 where he played 220 games for Carlton. Austin stood at 180cm but often played taller; one such game was in 1977, when with Geoff Southby injured, Austin played on Peter Hudson and kept him goalless. Austin also had many duels with Leigh Matthews when ‘Lethal’ played as a deep forward. Austin was a member of 1979 Premiership team but missed out on 1981 due to an injury in Round 14. In 1982 Austin played in the Preliminary Final where he kept Matthews to one goal despite a hit by the Hawks legend and was named among Carlton’s best with 28 disposals. In a Sunday morning recovery session of soccer Austin was kicked accidentally in the thigh by Frank Marchesani and by Tuesday this had become deep bruising. He was still named on Thursday but was replaced by Ken Sheldon and spent the day in hospital. Upon retirement Austin coached Footscray’s reserves before he went to Fitzroy from 1989-1990 – the Lions won 12 games in 1989 to finish sixth and seven games in 1990 to finish 12th. Austin was then a long-term administrator for the AFL and his son Nick is current list manager at Carlton.

 

 

Scott Harding – Harding debuted as a 19 year old in Round 1, 2006 having been Pick 66 in the 2005 Rookie Draft. He played 14 games in his first year and in 2007 moved to Number 5, he played another 48 games from 2006-2009 at Brisbane and then two at Port Adelaide in 2010. In 2011 Harding was awarded a scholarship at University of Hawaii Warriors but unlike other AFL players who have played American Football, Harding initially played as punt returner and wide receiver; only later was he played as a punter. Harding did not make it to the NFL but opened up an Academy in 2016 for Australians to try out other positions besides punter in American Football.

 

 

Conor McKenna – McKenna joined Essendon from County Tyrone as Pick 62 in the 2014 Rookie Draft. McKenna debuted in Round 22, 2015 and played the last two games for two goals. After twelve games in 2016 he became a regular for Essendon and provided considerable dash off the half back flank. After his best year in 2019, McKenna struggled with homesickness in 2020 having grappled with isolation due to the pandemic and then returned to his homeland early while the season was delayed. When he came back to Tullamarine for the recommencement of the season in 2020 he tested positive for Covid-19. While in quarantine he was subject to media pressure and social media abuse which affected his form and he returned permanently back to Ireland in mid-2020. There is talk that McKenna may be ready to recommence his AFL career.

 

 

Damian Peverill – Peverill initially started on Melbourne’s rookie list and in 2001 moved to Essendon’s rookie list. With a long term injury to Joe Misiti early in 2001, Peverill was promoted to the seniors. Despite Essendon being the reigning premier Peverill had an immediate impact with 20 disposals in his first game and 26 in his third game. He played from Rounds 4-12 but as per the rules of the day he had to be placed back on the rookie list once Misiti returned from injury. Peverill was injured in his first game back in the reserves, missed the rest of the season and any chance of return to the firsts if there was another long term injury. Peverill was promoted to the main list in 2002 and given Number 11, he played 144 games from 2001-2008 with a best of 35 disposals.

 

 

Some of the forgotten Number 45s are Paul Rouvray (Adel), Daniel Dzufner (Bris), Darren Tarczon (Carl), Glenn Sandford (Coll), Craig Cleave (Geel), Sam Schulz (GWS), Riley Milne (Haw), Todd McHardy (Melb), Warwick Angus (NM), Wayne Shand (Rich) and Laurie Bellotti (WCE).

 

 

 

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