THE BOOK OF NUMBERS - NUMBER FORTY-SIX

by the Professor

From Tangles to Snake

One of the by products of the introduction of the new AFL club to be located on the Gold Coast will be a change to the draft rules which, in addition to allowing GC17 to pick a large number of local Queenslanders, will give the existing AFL clubs the right to select an additional two players on their rookie lists. This will bring to 46 the number of players on most club lists and will, in turn, increase the likelihood of a re-appearance of the number 46 at the Melbourne Football Club – a number not seen on a Demon since the 2000 Grand Final.

The number 46 is not a guernsey number at this club that is renowned for anything much although it was once worn by a man who became famous as a test cricketer and later as a television commentator and prolific author of books. As stated above, it was also worn into battle in the club’s most recent grand final appearance.

Adrian Bowden arrived at the club in 1966 from Hobart High School Old Boys at a time when the Demons were in steep decline after more than a decade as the VFL’s dominant club. Many of the stars of that era had left the fold and it was now a time for team building. An unprecedented total of twenty-two new players (five in the opening round) were introduced into senior football that year including Bowden who made his debut in the back pocket against Richmond in round 3 and wore the number 46 in 14 games that season. He played another ten games in jumper number 23 the following year, mainly as a centre half back, before returning home.

The next custodian of the number 46 was another ex-Hobart schoolboy in tall, gangly Max Henry Norman Walker who arrived from Friends School with a reputation of having some ability as a ruckman and as an opening batsman in cricket. He was thrown into the ruck on elevation into the senior team and played eight games in his debut season of 1967 before grabbing the number 1 guernsey at the start of the following year. Walker's football career was curtailed by his success as a test cricketer and "Tangles", niknamed for his unusual bowling style, retired at the end of 1972 after 85 games and 23 goals. He went on to represent Australia in 34 Tests as a medium pace bowler and handy tail end batsman.

Ray Sampson, brother of Essendon's Brian Sampson, joined the club in 1969 and managed just one game that season wearing 46. The next wearer of the number was another local in Geoff Harrold from Bentleigh-McKinnon Youth Club. He played two senior games before moving to Canberra where he had a long career in local football there.

Another hiatus of three years followed before another youngster from Bentleigh-McKinnon claimed the jumper for a brief career. Utility Glenn Walley played 3 games (2 goals) in 1975-6 before moving to Sandringham.

Peter Tossol, from Assumption College, Kilmore came up through the Under 19's and made his debut in round 6, 1982 wearing the number 46 jumper. He managed 5 games (4 goals) that year before changing to the number 21 for the remainder of his career. In all, he played 17 games for 20 goals to 1984. His brother John had played 2 games in 1981.

Like Max Walker, Tasmanian Michael Reynolds hailed from Friends School, Hobart and wore the number 46 on his debut at the club in 1983 and then again in 1984. A 186cm forward, Reynolds missed the 1985 season and switched to 21 in 1986 which was his final year. He played 22 games for 20 goals.

Local lad Darren Louttit from St. Peters East Bentleigh was at the club in 1985-6 and was the next wearer of the number 46. The 193cm key position player managed just 2 games before moving on to Fitzroy.

Matthew Mahoney, a 200cm ruckman drafted from Eastlakes (ACT) wore 46 in his debut season before switching to number 10. He made only six appearances to 1992. His replacement as wearer of the number 46 also wore it in his debut season only. Haydn Robins switched to the number 15 in 1993. The aggressive defender from Ringwood played 20 games (1 goal) before transferring to Richmond after two years at the club.

Hayden Lamaro, a half back from Euroa was drafted by the club via the Murray Bushrangers in the 1997 National Draft. He wore the number 46 in his two games in 1998.

The last player to wear the number 46 at Melbourne was Troy Simmonds who earlier this year represented Victoria in the State of Origin match. He was drafted to Melbourne from VFL club Box Hill and played five years in his debut season as a lightly built ruckman in an understudy role to Jeff White. He acquired the nickname “Snake” because of his unusual hobby of collecting reptiles. He also studied zoology. Simmonds stepped up in 2000 when White was carrying injuries but lost the number 1 ruck spot back to White when he sustained a knee injury. Simmonds fought his way back into the side for the 2000 grand final and is remembered as the victim of an ugly head high incident caused by a reckless bump from Essendon’s Michael Long who subsequently incurred a four week suspension. Simmonds recovered and played out the following season in Jimmy Stynes' number 11 but he never managed to grab the number 1 ruck mantle from White and was traded to Fremantle at the end of that year after 40 games and 7 goals. "Snake" later transferred to the Tigers where he remains their leading ruckman to the present day.

So the jumper number 46, worn last at Melbourne in a grand final, awaits a new owner and it could come as early as the beginning of the next season with the mooted expansion of AFL lists by two rookies. The number is not fashionable but still has managed to attract one or two handy sportsmen in the past. Perhaps the next one can emulate or even better the feats of "Tangles" or "Snake"?