Simon Fletcher (Australian footballer)
Encyclopedia
Simon Fletcher is a former Australian rules football
er who played with Carlton
and Richmond
in the Australian Football League
(AFL).
Fletcher was initially drafted to Geelong
, from the Falcons
, under the father/son rule
. His father Gary did not play at VFL/AFL level but the rule was used because he was a manager at the club. A knee injury in 1997 kept him out of action and he was delisted at the end of the season.
Carlton rookie listed Fletcher in 1998 and he made his senior debut late in the 1999 AFL season. He impressed enough to keep his spot for the finals series and made three appearances, but after having just five disposals in the premliminary final was replaced by Adrian Hickmott
for the grand final.
Fletcher, who played mostly on the wing and flanks, missed just one game in 2000 and played in another preliminary final. A former Grovedale
player, he was again a regular member of the team in 2001 and put together a sequence of 28 consecutive games before it ended in 2002.
He was delisted after the 2003 season and nominated for the national draft
, where he was selected by Richmond with the 79th selection. He was unable to have an impact from six games, and was delisted. He continued his playing career in the Geelong Football League
with St Mary's, playing there from 2005 until 2009.
After the 2009 season, Fletcher was named as the player development manager for the newly-formed Gold Coast Football Club.
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 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 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 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).
Fletcher was initially drafted to 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...
, from the Falcons
Geelong Falcons
The Geelong Falcons are a junior Australian rules football representative club in the TAC Cup competition, Victoria, Australia.The club takes in talented junior players from the Geelong, Colac and Warrnambool regions in order to groom them for AFL selection...
, under the father/son rule
Father-son rule
The father-son rule is a rule that allows clubs to select the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the team in Australian rules football, most notably the Australian Football League...
. His father Gary did not play at VFL/AFL level but the rule was used because he was a manager at the club. A knee injury in 1997 kept him out of action and he was delisted at the end of the season.
Carlton rookie listed Fletcher in 1998 and he made his senior debut late in the 1999 AFL season. He impressed enough to keep his spot for the finals series and made three appearances, but after having just five disposals in the premliminary final was replaced by Adrian Hickmott
Adrian Hickmott
Adrian Hickmott is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Geelong in the AFL.Hickmott was a utility player who had a tough style of play. He was usually used up forward but was also seen across half back....
for the grand final.
Fletcher, who played mostly on the wing and flanks, missed just one game in 2000 and played in another preliminary final. A former Grovedale
Grovedale Football Club
Grovedale Football Club plays in the Geelong Football League in Victoria, Australia. They play their home games at Burdoo Reserve.-Club history:...
player, he was again a regular member of the team in 2001 and put together a sequence of 28 consecutive games before it ended in 2002.
He was delisted after the 2003 season and nominated for the national draft
2003 AFL Draft
The 2003 AFL Draft was the 2003 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...
, where he was selected by Richmond with the 79th selection. He was unable to have an impact from six games, and was delisted. He continued his playing career in the Geelong Football League
Geelong Football League
The Geelong Football League is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia. It is the highest quality league in the Geelong area, with numerous former AFL players playing for various clubs.-History:...
with St Mary's, playing there from 2005 until 2009.
After the 2009 season, Fletcher was named as the player development manager for the newly-formed Gold Coast Football Club.