A classy wingman from Southport who was the fifth Queenslander to play for the Brisbane Bears behind Gary Shaw, Frank Dunell, Tony Beckett and Alan Giffard and the third player behind Beckett and Giffard elevated to senior ranks with the Queensland AFL club. A Surfers Paradise junior, he was a triple QAFL premiership player with Southport in 1985- 87-89 who won AFL selection on sheer weight of performance at club level.
Made his AFL debut against Sydney in Round 11 1987, collected three Brownlow Medal votes in his fourth game against North Melbourne and was a standout in Round 22 against Richmond at the MCG, when a brave Bears win saw them avoid the wooden-spoon in their first season. Played 11 games in his first season as a 20-year-old but was plagued by leg injuries thereafter and didn’t get a chance to live up to his potential, finishing with a total of 25 games from 1987-90.
Played 10 times for Queensland, including the 1988 Bi-Centennial Carnival in Adelaide, where he was among the better players in a disappointing Maroons outfit. Later joined West Adelaide, winning selection in the South Australian Team of the Year, and after a distinguished end to his playing career returned ‘home’ and has been a willing servant to the game as an assistant coach with the Queensland U18 side.
Was chosen on the wing in the Southport 1983-2008 Celebration Team to honour the club’s first 25 years in the AFLQ.
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