Carl Steinfort is an Australian rules football

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...

er who played for both the Geelong

Geelong Football Club

The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...

 (1996–2000) and Collingwood

Collingwood Football Club

The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

 (2001–2002) football clubs 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).

Geelong career

Steinfort had a solid five year stint at Geelong, where at one stage he was regarded as one of the premier run with players in the competition, and was highly regarded by teammates and supporters. Unfortunately his appearances were sometimes limited through injury. His most memorable games included winning a AFL Rising Star nomination in 1997 and his tagging job on Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley

Nathan Buckley

Nathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

 in the Cats round 12 defeat of the Magpies.

Collingwood career

Along with other experienced players, including Jarrod Molloy

Jarrod Molloy

Jarrod Molloy was an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.A key position player, Molloy was trialled in both attack and defence as his career wore on, with most success enjoyed near the goalmouth....

, James Clement

James Clement

James Clement is a former professional Australian rules footballer for Collingwood and Fremantle in the Australian Football League...

, Brodie Holland

Brodie Holland

Brodie Holland is a former professional Australian rules footballer best known for his playing days at the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League....

, Shane Wakelin

Shane Wakelin

Shane Wakelin is a former Australian rules footballer for St Kilda and Collingwood in the Australian Football League.-AFL career:...

 and Chad Rintoul

Chad Rintoul

Chad Rintoul was an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. The midfielder was drafted by the Adelaide Crows in the 1996 AFL Draft he played 23 games in 1997 including the premiership game, playing as a small forward for most of the year. At the end of 1998 he was traded back...

, Steinfort arrived at Victoria Park

Victoria Park, Melbourne

Victoria Park is a sports venue in Abbotsford a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Built for the purpose of both Australian rules football and cricket, the stadium is oval shaped....

 in season 2001. After a consistent beginning to the year, Steinfort's form dwindled later in the season, failing to register double-figured possessions after the round 17 defeat of Fremantle at Subiaco Oval.

The following season was to be Steinfort's last at the club, and at league level. With the Magpies younger players developing quickly, Steinfort's opportunities were limited. Aside from a solid performance against Essendon on Anzac Day, it appeared the journeyman's career was coming to a close. Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse

Mick Malthouse

Michael "Mick" Malthouse is a former Australian rules footballer and the former coach of the Collingwood Football Club.While his playing career included a premiership for Richmond in the VFL, he is best known for his Australian Football League coaching career.Malthouse is the most successful coach...

 surprised all when he named Steinfort in the team to face Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in the Qualifying Final, and he performed well, gathering a season-high 18 disposals and scored a goal, as the Magpies trumped a shellshocked Power outfit. Steinfort's September purple-patch continued into the remainder of the finals series, first playing a serviceable role in the side's win over Adelaide in the Preliminary Final, before successfully curtailing the influence of the dangerous Des Headland

Des Headland

Desmond "Des" Headland, Jr is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for Subiaco in the West Australian Football League. He plays as a half-forward flanker or midfielder. Headland was selected with the first overall draft pick in the 1998 AFL Draft by the Brisbane Lions...

 in the 2002 AFL Grand Final

2002 AFL Grand Final

The 2002 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Brisbane Lions and the Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 2002. It was the 106th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football...

.

Surprisingly, it was to be Steinfort's final match, retiring after he was told by Malthouse that he could expect a struggle to play the majority of the following season in the senior side, his retirement paving the way for Murray Bushrangers youngster Luke Mullins

Luke Mullins

Luke Mullins is an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Australian Football League .Mullins played his early football with the Wangaratta Rovers and was picked up by Collingwood in the 2003 Pre-Season Draft, from the Murray Bushrangers...

 to be selected by the club in the 2003 Pre-Season Draft.

Since retiring Steinfort, a qualified accountant, has worked for various charities, including SurfAid International

SurfAid International

SurfAid International is an international charitable organization working in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. It was founded by Dr. Dave Jenkins of New Zealand in 2000. In 1999 he was on a surfing trip in the area and saw the health problems of the local people...

 and along with his wife, has set up an orphanage in Kathmandu, Nepal.

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