Clint Bizzell

A proud member of Queensland’s 100-Game AFL Club, he played 163 games and kicked 79 goals with Geelong and Melbourne from 1996-2007, including four finals. Son of Wilston- Grange 200-gamer Robin Bizzell and a Grange junior himself, he is a product of Brisbane Boys College and twice did summer training with the Brisbane Bears without getting an opportunity. After representing Queensland at senior level and playing in the 1995 QAFL grand final with Kedron-Grange, he was drafted by Geelong at No.75 in the 1995 AFL National Draft.

An athletic utility capable of playing at both ends of the ground, he played 75 games and kicked 72 goals with the Cats from 1996-2001, mainly in the forward line. He showed great promise when he finished ninth in the B&F in 1998 from just 15 games, and followed up in 2000 with 20 games and a career-best six goals against Essendon in Round 11. But after kicking five goals against Collingwood in Round 14 2001 he was burdened by a comparison with Gary Ablett by teammate Garry Hocking, and was traded to Melbourne at the end of ‘01.

It proved a wonderful move, as he became a key figure in defence for the Demons and very much a senior figure, posting his 100th AFL game early in 2003 and his 150

th in 2006. He finished seventh in the Demons’ B&F in 2002 and fourth in ’03, when he represented Australia in the International Rules series against Ireland. He missed the entire AFL season in 2006 after a pre-season broken leg but did taste VFL premiership success with Sandringham before consistent injury problems in ’07 prompted his retirement after 88 games with the Demons.