Collingwood Forever

A totally fearless half-back or half-forward flanker recruited from the Dandenong Stingrays after having played his junior footy with Silverton. The Eagles recruited him in a clever deal that involved Brendan Krummel going to Fremantle. He stayed in Melbourne for a year to complete his Year 12 studies and said later that remaining with the Stingrays benefited his football as he learned to cope with plenty of tagging. He ran third in the West Coast best and fairest in 1997. His clean skills and hard at the ball approach were keynotes of his game and his versatility ranged across roles as a half-back, on-baller and attacker. He was the first Eagles player to be included in a Victorian state of origin team and there was conjecture over a return home. He had a brilliant season and ran third in the best and fairest. His 2001 season was ruined by a knee injury halfway through the year and he had a second knee reconstruction in 2002 which wiped out his season. He had a solid 2004 season as a winger and half-back flanker, before hurting the knee again and at the end of the season was traded to Collingwood. He started well at his new club and had 15 games in his first season, but in 2006 he could manage just six undistinguished appearances and retired at the end of the season.