The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Opinion

AFL top 100: Nicknames 80-71

15th November, 2021
Advertisement
Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
Roar Guru
15th November, 2021
6
1283 Reads

My series on the 100 greatest nicknames in VFL/AFL history continues with numbers 80 to 71.

AFL top 100: Nicknames 100-91
AFL top 100: Nicknames 90-81

80. ‘Bluey’
With typical Australian humour, this name was given to a large number of red heads that played AFL/VFL.

It made the top 100 list because of the number of memorable players who wore the moniker, including the following players.

Frank ‘Bluey’ Adams was a champion wingman for Melbourne in the 1950s and 1960s who played in six premierships and made the final of both the Stawell Gift and the Bendigo 1000.

But he is most remembered for his head clash with Collingwood’s Des Healy in the last quarter of the 1955 grand final when as 19th man he ran onto the ground as Healy was sprinting down the wing.

Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott was another Melbourne champion and a high profile war hero who died while still in the RAAF at age 26.

Ian ‘Bluey’ Shelton was a ruthless centre half back for the Bombers from 1959 to 1965.

Advertisement

Ian ‘Bluey’ Hampshire gave both Geelong and Footscray great service in 113 and 111 games respecctively. He coached Footscray for part of 1982 and all of 1983.

Bob ‘Bluey’ McClure was a big-game performer who starred in three Essendon premierships.

There were a number of other players who answered to the name ‘Bluey’, but there was also one who answered to the name ‘Blue’ – not because he had red hair but because of his surname: Gilbert V Beard!

AFL-generic-Sherrin

(Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

79. ‘Trout’
Why he got the name ‘Trout’ is not known, but Tony Elshaug played football for three VFL clubs: Melbourne, Essendon and Collingwood and is still in the top 100 goal scorers at Melbourne. He also played in Essendon’s 1985 premiership side.

78. ‘Lloyd’
This is another nickname that gives a hint to the generation to which it belongs. Longford recruit RAAF Sergeant Reginald Bennett’s middle name was George, so he was dubbed ‘Lloyd’ after the British prime minister David Lloyd George.

77. ‘Piggy’
John D Harris played in two premierships at Collingwood (1927 and ’28) and played every game in 1929 but was dropped for the grand final.

Advertisement

He then moved on to captain-coach of Hawthorn for the next two years. ‘Jiggy’ suffered chilblains in the ears as a child and his brothers would flick his ears, causing him to jig all over the place!

76. ‘Mort’
Another interesting nickname was bestowed on Graham Arthur, Hawthorn’s first VFL premiership captain, by classmates at Bendigo’s Marist Brothers College when they learned the poem ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’ by Sir Thomas Malory.

75. ‘Sport’
Not much is known about Henry Anderson who played six games for Fitzroy in 1913 and died in 1926 aged 34.

74. ‘Tiny’
Len J Mills had the nickname of ‘Booby’ in his long and distinguished career at West Torrens but when he joined St Kilda in 1929 at 31 years of age and became the tallest player ever at that time in the VFL at 203 centimetres, the Victorians decided the name ‘Tiny’ was more appropriate.

He had one year at St Kilda, moved to Hawthorn for one year and then disappeared off the face of the earth.

Sports opinion delivered daily 

   

Advertisement

73. ‘Leggo’
Very little is known about this nickname except that when used in 1918 it preceded the children’s building blocks and was spelt differently.

72. ‘Choco’
The Bulldogs’ Brian Royal was given this moniker as tribute to a popular biscuit Chocolate Royals.

Royal would have to be – statistically – one of the unluckiest VFL/AFL players of all time. When a severe injury ended his playing career mid-season, his total of games was 199, and his total goals was 299.

71. ‘Smokin’ Joe’
Essendon fans in the ’90s loved the exurbrance and ball-winning skills of Joe Misiti, who played in two premiership sides.

close