Gordon Fode (born 5 August 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]
| Gordon Fode | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Gordon Fode | ||
| Date of birth | 5 August 1971 | ||
| Original team(s) | St Francis Football Club | ||
| Draft | No. 5, 1996 Pre-season Draft | ||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1988–1995 | St Kilda | 52 (31) | |
| 1996 | Hawthorn | 0 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1996. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early life edit
Fode was a talented athlete in several sports, athletics, tennis, & junior soccer, played for Sandringham JSC, until age 13. When he turned 14, was asked to join U19 St. Kilda FC, Recruiting Officer John Beverage, asked him to come down to trial, & was selected in U19 Squad, with teammate Robert Harvey, Brett Bowey, Brad Pearce, Jason Daniels and the great Shane Warne.
VFL/AFL career edit
St Kilda (1988–1995) edit
Fode made his debut, just turned 17-year-old, in the last round of the 1988 VFL season youngest debutant in that year. He was then Selected to represent Victorian U15 All Schoolboys Championships, & Victorian U17 Teal Cup squad, with making All U17 Australian Team, playing alongside teammate Robert Harvey, & other greats such as, Wayne Carey, Chris Naish, Jose Romero. 1989 He went on to play all 22 games the following season, before hamstring injuries restricted him to only 4 games in the next two seasons. Coach - Ken Sheldon, moves Fode into a forward Line, off defence during the 1993 AFL season saw him kick 17 goals from 11 matches, and he was part of a 4 pronged attaching forward line, next to the great Tony Lockett, Stewart Loewe, and Craig O’Brien, Peter Everit, all important players at St Kilda's future.[2]
Hawthorn (1996) edit
After only nine games in 1994, and 5 in 1995, he left St Kilda, and joined Hawthorn drafted Fode with the 5th selection in the 1996 Pre-season draft, played in reserves all year 1996 AFL Centenary, and only managed a few senior games, AFL pre-season, but never managed senior game for AFL, at Hawthorn.
He retired young, aged 27, from the VFL/AFL at the end of the 1996 AFL season and attempted to go back to play soccer, scoring goals playing for Chelsea Hajduk (Croatian team) & then trying out for the NSL league Melbourne Knights but he was overlooked for a contract with the Melbourne Knights.[3] [4]
Career highlights edit
Athletics:
- U-15 Victorian Schoolboys Champion Long Jump 1985 [ 6.15m ]
Tennis:
- U-15 Brighton Dendy Park Tennis Club Champion 1985
VFL/AFL Football:
- U-15 Victorian Schoolboys Squad 1986
- U-17 Victorian Teal Cup Squad 1987
- All Australian U-17 Squad 1988
Personal life edit
Fode's father, Marko Fode was a goalkeeper for NSL League [A League] today, and still holds National Soccer League/A-League Men record for the most consecutive games keeping a clean sheet. Fode's father, went onto to play for two clubs Footscray J.U.S.T FC, where we won national league Cup titles, and South Melbourne FC, winning the Dockerty Cup 4 times, alongside great players Jimmy Armstrong, Steve Kennedy & Walker. Marko Fode was inducted into South Melbourne FC Hall of Fame. He also representative Victoria as a goalkeeper.
Fode's mother, Georgina Fode, was a great swimmer, and coached by the great former St. Kilda FC player, Neil Roberts, at school college days.
References edit
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 203-204. ISBN 1-74095-001-1.
- ^ Browne, Ashley (7 March 1994). "The brightest of the AFL's rising stars". The Age.
- ^ Schwab, Laurie (29 November 1996). "Keeper danger man for Knights". The Age.
- ^ Schwab, Laurie (18 November 1996). "Ex-Saint tipped for Knights". The Age.
External links edit
- Gordon Fode's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Interview with Saints Footy
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