youngest debutants

WAFL WAFL General Chat
21

in modern times joel corey (1999) and mark hutchings (2008)played as 17 year olds

22

Good topic, times have changed now because the really talented youngsters are now taken away from the WAFL clubs and (potential) league football into various AFL academies/programs/institutes/high performance centers/camps/tours/clinics.Because the AFL needs to be in control of everything of course and are the experts

23

I think Bryan Cousins debuted for Perth in a GF while he was still at Armadale SHS. So either 16 or 17. Think it was the 1970 GF v SF. Jeager O’Meara only 16 or 17. 4 goals on debut down at Rushton Park. The next year he was one of those taken by Gold Coast but ineligible to play AFL yet. What a waste that was playing shit football in the QFL and pumping weights which probably contributed to his early knee problems.

How good would it have been getting a full season in the WAFL from O’Meara?
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Yep, woulda been nice to see a glimpse of Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan playing for Claremont also but apparently their development was better with the mighty Gold Coast suns and Melbourne Demons of course

24

Cousins debuted in the last qualifying game of the season at Lathlain Park. He was only 16 and then went in to play in the GF against SF.
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Bryan Cousins DOB is 29.12.1953, so he was 16 when he played in the 1970 Grand Final. I have a permit form he signed with Armadale in 1968 when he was 14 and a half to play football in the South Suburban Murray FL.

25

Steve Armstrong played for Perth at age 17, could have been 16. I thought Franklin was 16 when he played his solitary game for Perth.

26

Pretty sure Steven Armstrong and Andrew McDougall both debuted in the same year both aged 16.

27

4 players have debuted before their 16th birthday
Joe O’Neil in ‘official night series’ 1967 was 13yrs 4 months, we was named as the 19th man, never came on the field and never played another game.

In actual WAFL league games, the youngest was Stan Hussey. Hussey was just over 14 when called upon to play for Centrals against West Perth in August 1891 due to the non appearance of a number of the selected side. Stan Hussey was a promising junior but the decision to play him was strongly influenced by his brother Bertram who was club Captain. Stan Hussey subsequently played in all the remaining games of the 1891 season and went on to a long and outstanding career with Rovers and Perth. He died at the age of 95 in 1972.

Others youngest
Des Miller (SF) 15yrs 210 days
Stan Magro (SF) 15y 257 d

Some other notables that played as a 16 year old:
Glen Jakovich (SF) 16y 15d
Dolph Heinrichs (EF) 16y 15d
Guy McKenna (C) 16y 56d
Daniel Wells (Peel) 16y 70d
Grant Campbell (EP) 16y 91d
Rhett Baynes (P) 16y 99d
Glen Rogers (EF) 16y 115d
Steven Armstrong (P) 16y 178d
Neil Balme (S) 16y 187d
Geoff Hendriks (WP) 16y 195d
Bruce Monteath (SF) 16y 196d
Bryan Cousins (P) 16y 222d
Richard Dennis (EP) 16y 239d
Les Fong (WP) 16y 247d
Stephen Coniglio (SD) 16y 249d
David Wirrpanda (EP) 16y 254d
Garth Taylor (SD) 16y 262d
Brad Hardie (SF) 16y 263d
Michael Gardiner (C) 16y 277d
Andrew McDougall (P) 16y 277d
Ben Cousins (EF) 16y 282d
Craig MacLean (EF) 16y 291d
Peter Sartori (SD) 16y 295d
John Gerovich (FS) 16y 325d
John Todd (SF) 16y 337d

Note: Data is in incomplete as we don’t have all players date of births in particular prior to WWII.

28

Jeager O’Meara? The following year he was taken by GC but ineligible to play AFL so I’m guessing he only turned 17 in his first year at GC.

29

Yep, O’Meara was 17 and about 6 months

30

Great list there Ric, gee there is some great WA footy names that made their debuts at 16yo or younger including a father/son combination.
I believe Mitch Duncan is Glen Rogers son and Duncan would have made his WAFL debut as a teenager (17yo & 9 months) as well before heading off to Geelong.

O’Meara (D.o.b-23 Feb 1994) was 17yo & 6 months when he played WAFL League footy DD on 20 Aug 2011.

I wonder if Stan & Bertram Hussey are relations of Mike & David?

31

bh, ric, Todd Breman and Greg Stewart? Without depressing the Subi supporters about the past, given that we went 50 years flagless, I am suprised our club did not pick a few more players very young.

32

AR not sure on Stewart will get back to you with that one.
Breman was 17yo & 9 months when he made his debut in Round 18 1983.

33

Point of order there AR…it was only 49 years between flags so let’s not make it look worse than it was. :stuck_out_tongue:

34

I see one John Todd at the bottom of that list, was it his next season that he won the Sandover? Youngest player to do so? My old man saw a bit of JT play and said he was far and away the most skillful player he ever saw, a tragedy he did a knee so young, imagine him at his peak in his mid late 20’s!

35

Also, Tony Delaney from Claremont was 17y 90days approx when debuting for Essendon in 93

36

BH: thanks
SS: I am pretty sure Kevin Murray called Todd the best too; amazing he and Gerovich never won flags
BC: did you see the post i did once on poor Tom Outridge and our premiership drought; the poor man, I am certain, died in grand final week of 1973.