2014 Round 18, Quarter time.

8th July Birthdays.

 

Lindsay Gilbee 1981.

 PLAYER OF THE DAY. Peter Somerville, born 8th July 1968.

Son of an Essendon player, Peter joined the club in 1988 and over the next 12 seasons played 160 games for 89 goals.  

It took a few years for him to obtain the mantle of number 1 ruck at the club, but by 1993 he was playing some good football. 

Part of the clubs 1993 Premiership team, he had some years where he struggled to find form, but was still the first choice in the ruck until John Barnes joined them in 2000.

Source: The Encyclopaedia Of AFL Footballers.

The End Of Three Great Careers.

In the first 3 months of the 2014 AFL season three great players have hung up the boots as their bodies have told them it is time.

Today we pay tribute to these men who have shown us flashes of brilliance and bravery on the football field.

Jonathan Brown first played for Brisbane in 2000 and from then until 2014 he played 256 games and kicked 594 goals.  He was selected under the father son rule as his father had played for Fitzroy.

Growing up around football clubs, he was well acquainted with the atmosphere and was playing against men whilst still in his mid-teens.

By the time he was 19 he was a Premiership centre half forward and the hallmark of his career was his full on attack at the ball, putting himself in places a lot of players would shy away from.

Injury and suspension cut down the number of games he managed but there is no doubt the team seemed to go up a gear when he was on the field.

His playing achievements include, Brisbane Captain 2007-2013, Coleman Medal 2007, 2 time All Australian and 3 Premierships.

Darren Glass won the West Coast best first year player award in 2000 and having already played senior football with Perth, was able to settle well into the Eagle’s back line.

Missing a lot of games due to injury in 2001, he managed to fight his way back into a regular spot in 2002 and by the end of that year had the full back position as his own.

A cool customer when under pressure, he will be remembered for his runs out of the back line and his ability to negate some of the best forwards in the game.

Between 2000 and 2014 Darren played 270 games for the Eagles and kicked 8 goals.  He was club Captain from 2008 to 2014, 4 times All Australian, 2006 Premiership player and 3 time club Best and Fairest.

Heath Scotland spent his first 5 years (1999-2003) at Collingwood in 53 games for 12 goals.

He played 7 games early in 1999 before being dropped to the reserves and then came back for the last 5 games of the year.

The highlights of the next three seasons were appearances in the clubs Grand Final teams in 2002 and 2003, but not playing many games overall he transferred to Carlton in 2004.

Here he fared much better and took part in 215 games for 69 goals until retiring in 2014.

He played every game in 2004 and though he had some down times he was mostly a very consistent player, strong in defence, attacking at the ball and could drift forward to kick a goal or two.

Heath polled well in the club Best and Fairest over a number of years and won the John Nicholls Medal in 2012.

Source: The Encyclopaedia Of AFL Footballers.