Craig McGrath (Australian footballer)

Craig McGrath (born 9 October 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian/Australian Football League (VFL/AFL).

Craig McGrath
Personal information
Full name Craig McGrath
Date of birth (1963-10-09) 9 October 1963 (age 61)
Original team(s) Banyule
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 88 kg (194 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1984–1989 Fitzroy 58 (42)
1990–1991 West Coast Eagles 15 (13)
Total 73 (55)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1991.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

From Banyule, McGrath starred in and captained Fitzroy's 1982 Under 19's premiership team. He played his first senior game for Fitzroy in 1984 but had his breakthrough season in 1986 when he made 16 appearances.[1] They included Fitzroy's finals campaign which ended with a preliminary final loss to Hawthorn, when McGrath had 14 disposals. A centre half-forward, he was let go by Fitzroy at the end of the 1989 season to ease salary cap pressure and was picked up by the West Coast with the fourth selection of the 1990 preseason draft.[2]

McGrath, who was used in the ruck on occasions, played in the second half of the 1990 season for the Eagles, including the drawn and replayed qualifying finals. During the year he represented Western Australia in an interstate match against South Australia at Football Park. He played just one further AFL season before being delisted but continued in the WAFL, where he played with East Perth and then Perth.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Craig McGrath". AFL Tables.
  2. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
  3. ^ "40 Craig McGrath". West Coast Eagles official website. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011.