Justin Charles
Encyclopedia
Justin Charles is a former Australian rules football
er who played for Footscray
and Richmond
in the VFL/AFL.
with them, and his father John R. Charles, as well as his uncle Norm Charles had played for the club in the past. He made his debut in 1989, however in the five seasons he spent at the club until 1993, he never could consolidate a position with spots for big players of his type competitive. Terry Wheeler
, then coach of the Bulldogs, was willing to put him up for trade, however Charles quit the club and took a year off from football. He had played only 36 games for 24 goals with the club.
, playing in the minor league
with the Florida Marlins
.
The former plumber
was surprisingly picked up in the 1994 AFL Draft
by Richmond
and immediately impressed the club with his work ethic. He became a fairly prominent ruckman
and in 1996's Brownlow Medal
he polled 17 votes, with Michael Voss
and James Hird
, the winners, polling only four more.
, boldenone
. The AFL tribunal suspended him for 16 matches, as there was not an anti-drug policy in place at the time. Charles made a return to AFL football late in 1998 but injury led to his retirement shortly after, finishing with 54 games and 38 goals for the Tigers.
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 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...
and Richmond
Richmond 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,...
in the VFL/AFL.
Footscray career
Charles was recruited to the Footscray Football Club after winning an under-19s best and fairestBest and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
with them, and his father John R. Charles, as well as his uncle Norm Charles had played for the club in the past. He made his debut in 1989, however in the five seasons he spent at the club until 1993, he never could consolidate a position with spots for big players of his type competitive. Terry Wheeler
Terry Wheeler
Terry Wheeler is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and coached Footscray in the Australian Football League....
, then coach of the Bulldogs, was willing to put him up for trade, however Charles quit the club and took a year off from football. He had played only 36 games for 24 goals with the club.
Richmond career
Charles took a year off football in 1994, in frustration, when he turned his hand to baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, playing in the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
with the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
.
The former plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
was surprisingly picked up in the 1994 AFL Draft
AFL Draft
The AFL Draft is the annual draft of new unsigned players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.-History:...
by Richmond
Richmond 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,...
and immediately impressed the club with his work ethic. He became a fairly prominent 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...
and in 1996's 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...
he polled 17 votes, with Michael Voss
Michael Voss
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League team and a former professional Australian rules footballer....
and James Hird
James Hird
James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
, the winners, polling only four more.
Drugs controversy
Late in the 1997 AFL season, Charles became the first player to test positive to an anabolic steroidSteroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
, boldenone
Boldenone
Boldenone , also known under the trade names Equipoise, Ganabol, Equigan and Ultragan, is an anabolic steroid developed for veterinary use, mostly for treatment of horses...
. The AFL tribunal suspended him for 16 matches, as there was not an anti-drug policy in place at the time. Charles made a return to AFL football late in 1998 but injury led to his retirement shortly after, finishing with 54 games and 38 goals for the Tigers.