From the couch: A look in all directions – more surnames in sport by Tom Riordan

by Tom Riordan

 

Tom Riordan: Gee, Marcus North is playing out of his skin.

Chris Riordan: Sure is… You know, Marcus North isn’t the only directional surname that there is in sports.

TR: What do you mean by directional surnames?

CR: Well, say former Aussie ashes one-gamer Ken Eastwood, actually, he was a Footscray boy as well.

TR: Oh yeah. Speaking of Footscray, Scott West.

CR: And Danny Southern. Also before your time, the journeyman coach and Tiger premiership player John Northey.

TR: Northey, Northey… that rings a bell somehow… Ahh, that’s right, Northey sounds like a multiple group one winner from the 2000’s by the name of Northerly. And to add to that, it was from WESTern Australia!

CR: Wow, directional surnames aren’t rare at all, I recall a great racehorse from Sydney from the late seventies called Best Western.

TR: This is quite a fascinating subject. I can think of a Ryder Cup and USPGA tour regular, Englishman Lee Westwood.

CR: Another golfer before your time, Andy North, victorious in two US Opens in 1978 and 1985.

TR: To soccer, and a player in the early 2000’s for Aston Villa and Lazio, Glenn Eastern.

CR: What about Gareth Southgate, also played for Aston Villa and now manages an EPL team.

TR: Good get.

CR: Anthony West, superbike rider.

TR: Wow, you’re on fire. I cannot believe the amount of players we’ve come up with tonight. How did we even begin the conversation?

CR: Marcus North.

TR: Oh yeah. North. Switch back to the cricket for a moment.

CR: Sure

About Tom Riordan

Tom Riordan is in his second year of a Bachelor of Journalism at Swinburne University. He loves all sports, and plays for Brunswick Cricket Club. He supports the Western Bulldogs and can be found on weekends among half a dozen others in Q38 on the top level of the MCC.

Comments

  1. Tommy,
    I was only warming up!
    I remember former Glenelg and Essendon premiership player Paul Weston.
    I wonder if he ever stood North’s Stephen Easton?

  2. How about Geoff Southby? Great Carlton fullback.
    And on the horses, there were few better pacers than Westburn Grant.

  3. Peter Flynn says

    Great topic boys.
    My favourite horse was Northerly.
    Roy West (another backman).
    Cheers,
    Joe South singer of the late 60’s hit Games People Play

  4. Tanya Burns says

    Don’t forget the girls – Eloise Southby !

  5. And commentator (screamer!) Big Dazzler Eastlake

  6. Sou’wester won a Caulfield Guineas in the 70’s and Our Westminster was a Group One winner. Northern Drake ran 2nd to Might And Power in a Cox Plate and Gai had a good sprinter recently by the name of Northern Meteor.

  7. Champion sire Northern Dancer ensures plenty of racing refs.

  8. Damian Watson says

    Don’t forget former Bulldogs forward Mark West

  9. Don’t Damian, it just brings back the awful 1997 Prelim again!

  10. Steve Healy says

    Trent West, Geelong ruckman who has played one game this year.

  11. How about Ed Lower? Down is a direction too isn’t it?

  12. That opens more possibilities. Straight Up won some good races in Adelaide and ran 2nd in an Adelaide Cup behind Reckless. Lowland won an AJC Oaks in the 60’s and Lowan Star another one in 1980.

  13. Riordans, I vote for Tony Southcombe, bespectacled (his name is not allowed to be mentioned without that adjective) ruckman from Golden Square who impressed in a handful of games for Carlton and promptly went back to Bendigo.

  14. Basketball…Tigers coach Al Westover.

  15. Politically incorrect horse ref.
    Jumps horse Pride of Westbury died in a horrific fall at the last hurdle of the Galleywood Hurdle Race at Warrnamboolthis year. He may well ultimately have doomed the ‘Bool Carnival.

  16. Peter Flynn says

    NZ trundler Tim Southee
    Port Adelaide’s Justin Westhoff

  17. And to veer off into the artist realm (applying the infamous ‘Kandinsky Rule’) – how about these Aussie Artists for starters?
    Clara Southern, Lorna West, Lynne Eastaway, Judy North…

  18. very “creativetype”. I’ve never heard of any of them!

  19. I’m amazed at the response, keep them coming!!!

  20. coachnoodles says

    There was the great (tongue firmly in cheek) Essendon & Freo ruckman Simon Eastaugh and who could forget the hair on Nigeria’s star World Cup defender Taribo West – i think he had a run at Inter as well.

  21. What about Brisbane’s Cheynee STILLer. He wouldn’t go in any direction at all…

  22. Gigs,
    You are so lateral!!

  23. Peter Flynn says

    Bill Northam Aussie gold medallist at the ’64 Olympics

  24. Matthew BROADBENT has been named on the Port bench for a possible debut on Sunday. His direction is likely to be wide and not straight.

  25. tim SOUTHee

  26. Doug Ring couldn’t decide which direction to go…

  27. Easton Wood from the western bulldogs, or actually, williamstown

  28. Dave Nadel says

    I haven’t found a sports star this specific but there used to be real estate agent in Warrnambool named Eddie Northeast!

  29. If Scott West had a son with Stuey Dew’s sister and he went on to play AFL, then the league would have a Dew-West. Of course he would go (due west) to the Dogs under the father son rule.

  30. Dave – Fantastic stuff!!!

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