Right Half Back Flank - Ray Smith (Western Districts, Essendon, Melbourne)
Ray Smith's name has been immortalised by the Brisbane Lions, whose 100 game players have their names inscribed on the 'Ray Smith Honour Board'.
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Right Half Back Flank - Ray Smith (Western Districts, Essendon, Melbourne) |
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Despite
suffering from the disquieting disadvantage of coming from a rugby
union background, Ray Smith developed into a top line defender who became
the first Queenslander to play 100 VFL games. Aged just 15 when he
made his senior debut, he abandoned football for rugby league for a spell,
and in 1970 played in a Queensland premiership team with Valleys. He
returned to football the following year when recruited by Essendon,
and went on to spend the next four and a half seasons with the Bombers,
playing 77 games, before transferring to Melbourne, for whom he brought up
the elusive century of VFL games in 1976. He retired at the end of
the 1976 season.
Ray Smith's name has been immortalised by the Brisbane Lions, whose 100 game players have their names inscribed on the 'Ray Smith Honour Board'. |
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Wayne
Stewart overcame serious injury to establish himself as one of the
foremost players of his generation. A redoubtable figure, he struck
fear into the hearts of many an opponent, but played for much of his
career with only one kidney, wearing a protective device to safeguard
himself from further injury.
Beginning with Mayne in the early '60s, Stewart was a key reason behind that club's emergence as a force. After playing in the Tigers 1966 and 1967 premiership teams, however, Stewart crossed to their main rivals, Coorparoo, as captain-coach, and had the immediate satisfaction of steering his charges to an 18.17 (125) to 12.14 (86) victory over his former team mates in the 1968 grand final. Equally at home on the ball as in a key defensive role, Stewart was a regular Queensland representative during the 1960s, and went on to play close to 300 club games. |
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Left Half Back Flank - Gavin Crosisca (Western Districts & Collingwood) |
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After
an outstanding junior career Gavin Crosisca commenced senior football with
Western Districts as a 16 year old,
making such an immense immediate impact that he was picked to represent
Queensland and soon attracted the attention of southern talent scouts.
Eventually recruited by Collingwood, he made his senior VFL debut in 1987,
finding his niche almost immediately as a hard running, and highly skilled
half back flank specialist. A member of the Magpies' 1990
premiership team, he went on to be a stalwart in the side throughout the
1990s, eventually retiring after a 2000 season which brought his final
tally of V/AFL games to 246. Only the third ever Queenslander to
break the 200 game barrier, Crosisca also played state of origin football
for 3 different teams: Queensland, Victoria and the Allies.
Although he never managed to win Collingwood's best and fairest award, Crosisca consistently polled well, finishing runner up to Nathan Buckley in 1998, and running third on two occasions. |
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