Wayne Harmes
Encyclopedia
Wayne Harmes is a retired Australian rules football
er in the Victorian Football League.
, as a youngster Harmes was perceived to have a lot of talent, winning The Sun
newspapers' "Sunkick" competition. Added to this was the fact he was a grandson of Len Smith
and therefore, the great nephew of VFL legend Norm Smith
. Harmes debuted in 1977 for the Carlton Football Club
, going on to play 169 games for 86 goals until his retirement, forced by weight problems in his later career, in 1988. Throughout his career he was considered "hard at the ball" and his 176 cms, while not tall, was solid and very well-built (90 kg), which allowed him to throw around his considerable strength and made him a tough player. He represented Victoria in State of Origin in 1979 and 1986.
where he won the inaugural Norm Smith Medal
for best player on the ground during a Grand Final. The match itself became part of football folklore for the last minute heroics displayed by Harmes - he famously slid along the ground and knocked the ball back into play to set up the winning goal, scored by Ken Sheldon
. A great debate emerged whether the ball went out of bounds
or not at the point Harmes knocked it back in.
The match was the first of Harmes' three premiership wins, with him being a part of Carlton's 1981 and 1982 flags.
, particularly the latest 2006 AFL rule changes. He has claimed that the game is starting to resemble basketball
and bemoans the lack of contested possessions, which were commonplace in his playing days.
In 2006 Harmes appeared in a television commercial for Toyota's Memorable Moments
series, where he was filmed in a recreation of the final moments of the 1979 Grand Final (with Stephen Curry and Dave Lawson
). The commercial was filmed at a local park and took several takes to get right, which caused a large degree of pain for Harmes, he later said.
In 2006 Wayne Harmes coached the Macleod Football Club in Melbourne's Suburban Diamond Valley Football League (DVFL), Now known as the Northern Football League (NFL).
In October 2008, Wayne Harmes was appointed as Senior Coach of Lower Plenty Football Club in the Northern Football League (NFL).
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 in the Victorian Football League.
Football career
Recruited from Oak ParkOak Park, Victoria
Oak Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
, as a youngster Harmes was perceived to have a lot of talent, winning The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspapers' "Sunkick" competition. Added to this was the fact he was a grandson of Len Smith
Len Smith (footballer)
Like his younger brother, the legendary Norm Smith, it is as a coach that Len is best remembered. During his first stint as a coach, of the Fitzroy Under 19s , he guided the side to the 1955 Premiership. His first senior coaching role was with Fitzroy, taking them to the finals in 1958 and 1960...
and therefore, the great nephew of VFL legend Norm Smith
Norm Smith
Norman Walter "Norm" Smith was an Australian rules football player and coach in the Victorian Football League. After 200 games as a player with Melbourne and Fitzroy, Smith began a twenty year coaching career, including a fifteen year stint at Melbourne...
. Harmes debuted in 1977 for the Carlton Football Club
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...
, going on to play 169 games for 86 goals until his retirement, forced by weight problems in his later career, in 1988. Throughout his career he was considered "hard at the ball" and his 176 cms, while not tall, was solid and very well-built (90 kg), which allowed him to throw around his considerable strength and made him a tough player. He represented Victoria in State of Origin in 1979 and 1986.
1979 VFL Grand Final
Harmes' crowning achievement as a player was in the 1979 VFL Grand Final1979 VFL Grand Final
The 1979 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1979. It was the 83rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
where he won the inaugural Norm Smith Medal
Norm Smith Medal
The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
for best player on the ground during a Grand Final. The match itself became part of football folklore for the last minute heroics displayed by Harmes - he famously slid along the ground and knocked the ball back into play to set up the winning goal, scored by Ken Sheldon
Ken Sheldon
Kenneth "Ken" Sheldon is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League. He is the father of Brisbane Lions player, Sam Sheldon.-Carlton career:...
. A great debate emerged whether the ball went out of bounds
Out of bounds
Out of bounds is the area outside the boundaries of a sport's field of playOut of Bounds may also refer to:* Out of Bounds , a movie starring Anthony Michael Hall...
or not at the point Harmes knocked it back in.
The match was the first of Harmes' three premiership wins, with him being a part of Carlton's 1981 and 1982 flags.
Post-playing career
After his playing career, Harmes has been widely outspoken for his views on the current state of Australian rules footballAustralian 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...
, particularly the latest 2006 AFL rule changes. He has claimed that the game is starting to resemble basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and bemoans the lack of contested possessions, which were commonplace in his playing days.
In 2006 Harmes appeared in a television commercial for Toyota's Memorable Moments
Toyota Memorable Moments
The Toyota Memorable Moments series is a series of television advertisements produced over several years for the Australian Football League by its major sponsor, Toyota....
series, where he was filmed in a recreation of the final moments of the 1979 Grand Final (with Stephen Curry and Dave Lawson
Dave Lawson
Dave Lawson is an Australian comedian and TV and radio personality. He is currently participating in a talk back radio segment on the Nova 100 Australian commercial radio station, and is also a regular performer on the stand up comedy circuit...
). The commercial was filmed at a local park and took several takes to get right, which caused a large degree of pain for Harmes, he later said.
In 2006 Wayne Harmes coached the Macleod Football Club in Melbourne's Suburban Diamond Valley Football League (DVFL), Now known as the Northern Football League (NFL).
In October 2008, Wayne Harmes was appointed as Senior Coach of Lower Plenty Football Club in the Northern Football League (NFL).