Stephen Jurica is a former 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 with 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) during the 1990s.

A South Fremantle

South Fremantle Football Club

The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...

 recruit, Jurica was just 17 when he was signed by Richmond. He came into the Richmond team halfway through the 1995 AFL season

1995 AFL season

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1995.-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:*This was the first ANZAC Day clash held between Collingwood and Essendon which famously ended in a draw.-Round 5:-Round 6:...

 to replace injured key forward Matthew Richardson and performed credibly. In the now famous draw against Essendon, Jurica kicked five goals and later in the season kicked four goals in a win over Collingwood to win a 1995 AFL Rising Star

1995 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. The 1995 medal was won by Hawthorn Hawks player Nick Holland....

 nomination. He ended the season playing in a qualifying final and finished with 21 goals for the year.

Despite some impressive performances in his debut season, Jurica was delisted after adding just five further games in 1996 and 1997.

Jurica, who now works as a barrister

Barrister

A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...

, won the North Ballarat Football Club

North Ballarat Football Club

North Ballarat Football Club, nicknamed The Roosters, is an Australian rules football club based at Northern Oval in Ballarat. The club is locally known as the Roosters and plays in the Victorian Football League are current competition premiers and one of only four clubs based outside of Melbourne...

's "Best and Fairest" award in 2003.