17 former TAC Cup or VFL players will compete in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final between Hawthorn and West Coast, based on last week’s preliminary final teams.
That number could be 18 if Hawks forward Jack Gunston (an ex-Sandringham Dragon) recovers from an ankle injury to also take his place at the MCG.
The players from Hawthorn are:
- Taylor Duryea (former Murray Bushrangers player),
- James Frawley (North Ballarat Rebels),
- Josh Gibson (Port Melbourne),
- Billy Hartung (Dandenong Stingrays),
- Luke Hodge (Geelong Falcons),
- Jordan Lewis (Geelong Falcons),
- Ben McEvoy (Murray Bushrangers),
- Sam Mitchell (Eastern Ranges and Box Hill Hawks),
- Jarryd Roughead (Gippsland Power),
- Liam Shiels (Eastern Ranges), and
- Isaac Smith (North Ballarat Roosters).
The players from West Coast are:
- Xavier Ellis (Gippsland Power),
- Andrew Gaff (Oakleigh Chargers),
- Matt Rosa (North Ballarat Rebels),
- Will Schofield (Geelong Falcons),
- Luke Shuey (Oakleigh Chargers), and
- Callum Sinclair (Port Melbourne).
Including Gunston, this group has won:
- 23 premierships (Luke Hodge 3, Jordan Lewis 3, Sam Mitchell 3, Jarryd Roughead 3, Josh Gibson 2, Jack Gunston 2, Liam Shiels 2, Isaac Smith 2, Taylor Duryea 1, Xavier Ellis 1 (with Hawthorn) and Ben McEvoy 1);
- 11 All Australian guernseys (Luke Hodge 3, Sam Mitchell 3, Jarryd Roughead 2, Andrew Gaff 1, Josh Gibson 1 and Jordan Lewis 1);
- One Norm Smith Medal (Luke Hodge);
- One Coleman Medal (Jarryd Roughead); and
- One Rising Star Award (Sam Mitchell).
Other former TAC Cup players to have helped their teams make it to that one day in October by playing AFL games this season are:
- Hawthorn’s Jonathan Ceglar (Murray Bushrangers), Daniel Howe (Murray Bushrangers), Jonathan O’Rourke (Calder Cannons), James Sicily (Western Jets), Jonathan Simpkin (Geelong Falcons) and Matt Spangher (Eastern Ranges); and
- West Coast’s Mitch Brown (North Ballarat Rebels), Liam Duggan (Western Jets), Tom Lamb (Dandenong Stingrays), Jackson Nelson (Geelong Falcons) and Scott Selwood (Bendigo Pioneers).
* Photo: Hawthorn's Josh Gibson representing Port Melbourne in 2005
Last Modified on 30/09/2015 14:27
