John Anthony
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Anthony is a professional Australian rules football
player who plays for the Fremantle Football Club
in the Australian Football League
(AFL). Anthony used to play for the Collingwood Football Club
, but left the club at the end of the 2010 season.
in northern Melbourne. He also played for the Northern Knights
in the TAC Cup
where he was scouted by Collingwood and selected with the 37th selection of the 2005 AFL Draft
.
. He kicked two goals straight, but was dropped back to the VFL the following week. He returned to the Collingwood side in Round 13, keeping his spot in the side for the rest of the season. He kicked 25 goals for the season and scored at an accuracy of 81% - the highest percentage of any player in the competition with 25 or more goals. Originally believed to be the replacement for the retired James Clement
, Anthony instead played up forward for Collingwood. His best return of the season was kicking four goals in a losing side against North Melbourne Football Club
in round 16. Against St Kilda Football Club in round 19 he kicked three goals and had five marks in an important game for the club.
. He also had another career high four goals against Fremantle Football Club
and laid five tackles against the Blues. He was ranked 10th in the AFL for total goals for the season and 16th in goals contributed per game. Anthony kicked a crucial goal in the last 20 seconds of the semi final against Adelaide to give Collingwood victory by five points, after being awarded a free kick from directly in front. He broke down in tears after the match. Collingwood were easily defeated by Geelong the following week in the preliminary final. Earlier in the season, Anthony was suspended for one match for headbutting an opponent in the groin.
.
At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Anthony left Collingwood after receiving little interest from other clubs during trade week. He decided not to nominate for the 2010 AFL Draft
, instead deciding to opt for the Pre-season Draft. Fremantle
, Carlton
and the new Gold Coast have all expressed interest in Anthony and he has been training with the Dockers, who are considered to be in the "box seat" to draft Anthony.
, playing for Subiaco
. He broke into the Fremantle side in round 8 in a Western Derby
, but did not score a goal Fremantle's 33 point defeat.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player who plays for the Fremantle Football Club
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). Anthony used to play for the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, but left the club at the end of the 2010 season.
Early life
Anthony originally played as a defender with Diamond CreekDiamond Creek Football Club
The Diamond Creek Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Diamond Creek – an outer north-eastern suburb of Melbourne.-History:Formed in 1904, the club was a founding member of the Whittlesea District Football Association...
in northern Melbourne. He also played for the Northern Knights
Northern Knights
The Northern Knights are an Australian rules football club playing in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia. They are based in Preston, representing the northern suburban area of Melbourne....
in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
where he was scouted by Collingwood and selected with the 37th selection of the 2005 AFL Draft
2005 AFL Draft
The 2005 AFL Draft was the 2005 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.The 2005 Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period...
.
2007
Anthony suffered a horrific neck injury during the 2007 pre-season but made a successful return to football in 2008.2008
Anthony made his AFL debut in round three against Richmond Football ClubRichmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
. He kicked two goals straight, but was dropped back to the VFL the following week. He returned to the Collingwood side in Round 13, keeping his spot in the side for the rest of the season. He kicked 25 goals for the season and scored at an accuracy of 81% - the highest percentage of any player in the competition with 25 or more goals. Originally believed to be the replacement for the retired James Clement
James Clement
James Clement is a former professional Australian rules footballer for Collingwood and Fremantle in the Australian Football League...
, Anthony instead played up forward for Collingwood. His best return of the season was kicking four goals in a losing side against North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in round 16. Against St Kilda Football Club in round 19 he kicked three goals and had five marks in an important game for the club.
2009
The 2009 season was Anthony's most successful year to date, leading Collingwood's goal kicking with 50 for the season. He had a career high 18 disposals against Western BulldogsWestern Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
. He also had another career high four goals against Fremantle Football Club
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
and laid five tackles against the Blues. He was ranked 10th in the AFL for total goals for the season and 16th in goals contributed per game. Anthony kicked a crucial goal in the last 20 seconds of the semi final against Adelaide to give Collingwood victory by five points, after being awarded a free kick from directly in front. He broke down in tears after the match. Collingwood were easily defeated by Geelong the following week in the preliminary final. Earlier in the season, Anthony was suspended for one match for headbutting an opponent in the groin.
2010
Coming off a very successful year in 2009, Anthony had a disappointing start to the 2010 season, only averaging half a goal a game, which then forced him to be dropped from the senior side and into the VFL team. Later in the season he was then listed to play round 14 where he played his best game for the season and then the following week he was dropped again for playing his worst game of the season. Anthony then made a final attempt of squeezing into the strong Collingwood side by playing a defensive roll in round 21 against the Adelaide Football Club which didn't work out for him. John Anthony had been replaced by fellow team mate Chris DawesChris Dawes (Australian rules footballer)
Chris Dawes is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
.
At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Anthony left Collingwood after receiving little interest from other clubs during trade week. He decided not to nominate for the 2010 AFL Draft
2010 AFL Draft
The 2010 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These are the Trade Week; held between , the National Draft; held on the , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .This is the first national draft to feature the...
, instead deciding to opt for the Pre-season Draft. Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
, Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
and the new Gold Coast have all expressed interest in Anthony and he has been training with the Dockers, who are considered to be in the "box seat" to draft Anthony.
2011
Anthony begain the 2011 season in the West Australian Football LeagueWest Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
, playing for Subiaco
Subiaco Football Club
The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WAFL in 1901, along with North Fremantle...
. He broke into the Fremantle side in round 8 in a Western Derby
Western Derby
The Western Derby is the name given to the Australian rules football rivalry match between the Fremantle Football Club and West Coast Eagles, who both participate in the Australian Football League . As both teams are based in Western Australia, the term 'derby' is used to describe the...
, but did not score a goal Fremantle's 33 point defeat.