Ilija Grgic
Encyclopedia
Ilija Grgic is a former Australian rules football
er who played with Footscray
, the West Coast Eagles
and Essendon
in the Australian Football League
(AFL) during the 1990s.
Grgic was recruited from Melbourne High School Old Boys
and made nine appearances in his debut season in 1993, for a return of 19 goals. He also received a nomination for the 1993 AFL Rising Star
award and kicked a bag of six goals in a win over North Melbourne
at the MCG
. An injury to Scott Wynd
in 1994 gave Grgic was role of number one ruckman
at Footscray and he was awarded nine Brownlow Medal
votes for his efforts over the course of the season, finishing with 217 hit-outs and 27 goals. He was Footscray's second most successful forward in 1995 with 39 goals and still had over 100 hit-outs for the year. His goal tally included three majors in the qualifying final against Geelong
.
Footscray traded him to West Coast for Luke Trew at the end of the 1996 AFL season
and he was the regular ruckman for the Eagles in 1997. However he suffered back problems in 1998 and played most of his football for Peel Thunder in the West Australian Football League
(WAFL). During his time at West Coast he was involved in a drugs controversy when he tested positive for a banned substances but it turned out to be cough medicine.
After being let go by West Coast, Grgic was picked up by Essendon with the 56th pick of the 1998 AFL Draft
. He continued to struggle with injury and could manage just two AFL appearances but did play in a reserves premiership.
Since retiring from football, Grgic has had a successful professional career in petroleum refining, working most notably at the Shell
refinery in Geelong
, where he has been the engineering manager since 2007.
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 with Footscray
Western 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...
, the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
and Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
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) during the 1990s.
Grgic was recruited from Melbourne High School Old Boys
Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School is a selective entry state school for boys in years 9 to 12 located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. Being a selective school, it is known mainly for its strong academic reputation...
and made nine appearances in his debut season in 1993, for a return of 19 goals. He also received a nomination for the 1993 AFL Rising Star
1993 AFL Rising Star
The AFL Rising Star award is given annually to a standout young player in the Australian Football League. The award is also known as the Norwich Rising Star due to sponsorship reasons...
award and kicked a bag of six goals in a win over North Melbourne
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...
at the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
. An injury to Scott Wynd
Scott Wynd
Scott Wynd is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League, playing with Footscray.-Footscary/Western Bulldogs :...
in 1994 gave Grgic was role of number one ruckman
Ruckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...
at Footscray and he was awarded nine Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
votes for his efforts over the course of the season, finishing with 217 hit-outs and 27 goals. He was Footscray's second most successful forward in 1995 with 39 goals and still had over 100 hit-outs for the year. His goal tally included three majors in the qualifying final against 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...
.
Footscray traded him to West Coast for Luke Trew at the end of the 1996 AFL season
1996 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1996.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Lighting Premiership:...
and he was the regular ruckman for the Eagles in 1997. However he suffered back problems in 1998 and played most of his football for Peel Thunder in the West Australian Football League
West 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...
(WAFL). During his time at West Coast he was involved in a drugs controversy when he tested positive for a banned substances but it turned out to be cough medicine.
After being let go by West Coast, Grgic was picked up by Essendon with the 56th pick of the 1998 AFL Draft
1998 AFL Draft
The 1998 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and a rookie elevation. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 1998 there...
. He continued to struggle with injury and could manage just two AFL appearances but did play in a reserves premiership.
Since retiring from football, Grgic has had a successful professional career in petroleum refining, working most notably at the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
refinery in Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
, where he has been the engineering manager since 2007.