What does Tom Fullarton have in common with Melbourne Team of the Century pair Ivor Warne-Smith and Gary Hardeman, former captain Greg Healy, Jeff Farmer, Byron Pickett, Stefan Martin and Queenslanders Jake Spencer and Oskar Baker?
All have worn jumper #33 for the famous Melbourne Football Club.
Fullarton made his debut for the Demons on Saturday as they posted their first win of the season over Fremantle by 10 points at the MCG, deployed as the back-up ruckman to captain Max Gawn and as an occasional key forward.
It was the end of a long, long wait for the 199cm 26-year-old, a former Australian Under 17 basketball captain who played 19 games with the Brisbane Lions from 2020-22.
He was 953 days between games, having played his last game, ironically, for Brisbane in their 13-point win over Melbourne in the 2022 semi-final at the MCG.
Unable to break into the Brisbane side in 2023, Fullarton was a targeted recruit by the Demons at the end of that year, and traded to the 2021 premiers.
Curiously, despite repeated good form in the VFL, Fullarton had to wait for them to start 0-5 in his second season to get a chance at AFL level.
He did on Saturday, playing 60% game time for six possessions, six hit-outs and three score involvements as they beat Fremantle by 10 points at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
But the Melbourne side was vastly different to the Melbourne side he played against in his last game for the Lions.
There were only 12 ‘survivors’, with Angus Brayshaw, Ben Brown, Michael Hibbard and Joel Smith having retired and four other now at rival clubs – Luke Jackson (Fremantle), Alex Neal-Bullen (Adelaide), James Harmes (Western Bulldogs) and Jayden Hunt (West Coast). Plus, Jake Lever and Steven May were injured.
Oddly, the last three players to wear #33 for the Demons have been Queenslanders – Spencer in his last season in 2017 after he’d played the majority of his career in #42, and Baker from 2019-22 before his switch to the Dogs.
It is a number made most famous at Melbourne by Warne-Smith, the 1926-28 Brownlow Medallist named at centre half forward in their Team of the Century. Captain-coach of their 1926 premiership side, he was also in the Tasmanian Team of the Century and is an AFL Hall of Famer.
Fullarton was among 22 Queenslanders to play over Easter in Round 6 of the AFL season - and one of only five to enjoy a win as Brisbane and Gold Coast suffered their first defeats of the year.
Also playing his first AFL game of the year in Round 6 was Richmond ruckman Samson Ryan, who joined captain Toby Nankervis in the ruck as the Tigers beat the Suns by 11 points at Marvel Stadium. The 206cm giant had 4 four possessions, seven hit-outs, three tackles and a clearance in his 28th AFL game.
Ben Keays flew the Queensland flag in Adelaide’s 18-point win over GWS at Adelaide Oval, collecting 18 possessions and a goal to go with seven tackles and six score involvements. He made four tackles inside 50m – twice as many as any other player in the game.
He was the only Queenslander to poll in the Coaches Association Player of the Year Award.
His one vote against the Giants gives him seven for the season and sees him third among Queenslanders behind Brisbane’s Harris Andrews (14) and Will Ashcroft (12).
Aliir Aliir enjoyed a winning return to the SCG, continuing his good recent form with 16 possessions, five marks and two score involvements in defence as Port Adelaide beat his former club Sydney by eight points.
In the Easter Monday blockbuster between Geelong and Hawthorn at the MCG, in front of a massive 88,746 people, Jack Bowes’ had 12 disposals and three score involvements in the Cats’ seven-point win over the Hawks, for whom Mabior Chol had 15 possessions and seven score involvements, and kicked three goals.
Lachie Weller was among the Suns best in a loss to Richmond celebrated his 100th game for the Suns with 23 possessions, five score involvements, three tackles and two clearances.
The Suns Academy graduate, who began his career at Fremantle after just failing to qualify as a zone selection, was the fourth ‘Queenslander’ to play 100 games for the club after Jarrod Harbrow, Alex Sexton and Rory Thompson.
Connor Budarick had 17 possessions, Bodhi Uwland 16 possessions and Will Graham kicked two goals for eight in five games this year.
Levi Ashcroft had 19 possessions, six intercept possessions – second most on the ground – and seven score involvements for Brisbane in their 52-point loss to Collingwood at the Gabba.
Dayne Zorko had 20 possessions and a game-high 495 metres gained, Jack Payne collect 12 possessions at a 100% disposal efficiency, and was ranked #1 on the ground for intercept possessions with seven.
In Round 7 AFL matches this weekend, the Lions will play St.Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and the Suns will host Sydney at People First Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Submitted by Peter Blucher