Simon Madden (born 30 December 1957) is a former Australian rules footballer who played his entire 19-season career with the Essendon Football Club from 1974 until 1992. Madden is one of the most decorated players in the club's history and widely regarded as one of the finest ruckmen to ever play the game.[1]
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Simon Madden | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | Simon Madden | ||
Date of birth | (1957-12-30) 30 December 1957 (age 64) | ||
Original team(s) | St Christopher's | ||
Height | 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) | ||
Weight | 99 kg (218 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Ruckman/Tall forward | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1974–1992 | Essendon | 378 (575) | |
Representative team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
Victoria | 17 (21) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1992. | |||
Career highlights | |||
Club
Representative
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Madden was born in Melbourne; he attended primary school at St Christopher's in Airport West and had his secondary schooling at St. Bernard's College in Essendon, a school renowned for its sporting prowess. He then studied teaching at the Institute of Catholic Education[citation needed] (now the Australian Catholic University).
In all, he played 378 senior matches, the second-most by any Essendon player (behind Dustin Fletcher), and sixth-most in league history (behind Michael Tuck, Kevin Bartlett, Brent Harvey, Robert Harvey, and Dustin Fletcher).[2] In addition to playing in the ruck, Madden was a handy part-time forward, kicking 575 goals in his career, a club record that stood until it was broken in 2003 by full-forward Matthew Lloyd.
Madden won four Essendon best and fairest awards (1977, 1979, 1983 and 1984) and captained the side in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He played in the back-to-back premiership sides in 1984 and 1985, winning the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in the 1985 Grand Final. In 1986, Madden rejected an unheard-of offer for a 3-year contract totalling $550,000 (~$1.54 million in 2021 terms) by the eccentric Geoffrey Edelsten on behalf of the Sydney Swans, instead choosing to remain with Essendon for his entire career.[3] Regarding the offer, Madden replied, "You can take the boy out of Essendon, but you can't take Essendon out of the boy."[4] However, Madden estimated that, in 2009 dollars (when he was interviewed) and taking into account the cost of buying a house, etc., it was actually the equivalent of $4.4 million over three years. However, Madden claimed that he never regretted the decision.[5]
He was named in the All-Australian Team on three occasions (1983, 1987 and 1988). Madden captained the Victorian interstate team in 1989–91, and in 1990 received the Simpson Medal for best on ground in the Victoria vs. Western Australia match played in Perth.
He was named in the ruck in Essendon's Team of the Century and named as the fifth-best player ever to play for the club in the "Champions of Essendon" list.
After his playing days were over, Madden had a brief stint as ruck coach for Carlton. He was with the Blues for the 1993 season, in which they made the grand final but lost to Madden's former club, Essendon.
He was president of the AFL Players' Association from 1985 until 1989.
His brother Justin was also a top-class ruckman for Essendon and Carlton, and they are the only set of brothers to each play 300 games at VFL/AFL level. Both brothers had their secondary schooling at St Bernard's College, Melbourne, a school renowned for its sporting prowess. The school is the only one to ever produce three 300-game players, with Simon and Justin Madden joining former Bomber Garry Foulds in this achievement.[citation needed]
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks | H/O |
Hit-outs |
# |
Played in that season's premiership team |
Led the league after finals only |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||||
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G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | |||||
1974 | Essendon | 27 | 6 | 18 | 8 | 52 | 8 | 60 | 28 | — | 0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 8.7 | 1.3 | 10.0 | 4.7 | — | 0.0 | 2 |
1975 | Essendon | 27 | 19 | 37 | 29 | 138 | 19 | 157 | 59 | — | 29 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 7.7 | 1.1 | 8.7 | 3.3 | — | 4.8 | 0 |
1976 | Essendon | 27 | 20 | 28 | 18 | 123 | 43 | 166 | 78 | — | 86 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 8.3 | 3.9 | — | 4.5 | 3 |
1977 | Essendon | 27 | 20 | 33 | 11 | 234 | 81 | 315 | 126 | — | 378 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 11.7 | 4.1 | 15.8 | 6.3 | — | 19.9 | 25 |
1978 | Essendon | 27 | 22 | 40 | 25 | 199 | 72 | 271 | 138 | — | 301 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 9.0 | 3.3 | 12.3 | 6.3 | — | 14.3 | 7 |
1979 | Essendon | 27 | 23 | 39 | 31 | 220 | 106 | 326 | 158 | — | 263 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 9.6 | 4.6 | 14.2 | 6.9 | — | 11.4 | 3 |
1980 | Essendon | 27 | 21 | 45 | 27 | 176 | 95 | 271 | 111 | — | 211 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 8.4 | 4.5 | 12.9 | 5.3 | — | 10.0 | 5 |
1981 | Essendon | 27 | 19 | 36 | 34 | 135 | 69 | 204 | 89 | — | 236 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 7.1 | 3.6 | 10.7 | 4.7 | — | 12.4 | 7 |
1982 | Essendon | 27 | 21 | 49 | 25 | 142 | 74 | 216 | 92 | — | 230 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 10.3 | 4.4 | — | 11.0 | 7 |
1983 | Essendon | 27 | 26 | 26 | 16 | 235 | 156 | 391 | 179 | — | 812 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 15.0 | 6.9 | — | 31.2 | 22 |
1984# | Essendon | 27 | 24 | 27 | 17 | 177 | 137 | 314 | 151 | — | 699 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 7.4 | 5.7 | 13.1 | 6.3 | — | 29.1 | 14 |
1985# | Essendon | 27 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 163 | 123 | 286 | 136 | — | 322 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 14.3 | 6.8 | — | 16.1 | 11 |
1986 | Essendon | 27 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 182 | 112 | 294 | 114 | — | 338 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 7.9 | 4.9 | 12.8 | 5.0 | — | 14.7 | 4 |
1987 | Essendon | 27 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 85 | 65 | 150 | 69 | 12 | 252 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 10.7 | 4.9 | 0.9 | 18.0 | 1 |
1988 | Essendon | 27 | 22 | 31 | 8 | 183 | 95 | 278 | 138 | 27 | 257 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 8.3 | 4.3 | 12.6 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 11.7 | 16 |
1989 | Essendon | 27 | 25 | 33 | 16 | 239 | 81 | 320 | 138 | 28 | 350 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 9.6 | 3.2 | 12.8 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 14.0 | 3 |
1990 | Essendon | 27 | 23 | 30 | 16 | 195 | 6 | 2616 | 116 | 22 | 225 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 8.5 | 2.9 | 11.3 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 9.8 | 4 |
1991 | Essendon | 27 | 23 | 42 | 15 | 203 | 71 | 274 | 122 | 14 | 209 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 8.8 | 3.1 | 11.9 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 9.1 | 5 |
1992 | Essendon | 27 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 39 | 18 | 57 | 21 | 3 | 28 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 5.6 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 0 |
Career | 378 | 575 | 334 | 3120 | 1491 | 4611 | 2063 | 106 | 5226 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 8.3 | 3.9 | 12.2 | 5.5 | 0.9 | 14.7 | 139 |
Team
Individual
Madden has an extended background in education and worked as a teacher for 15 years, attaining the position of Vice Principal.[7][better source needed]
Madden was President of the AFL Players' Association from 1985 to 1989.[8][better source needed]
Madden became head coach of St. Bernards Old Collegians Football Club in 2005.[citation needed]
He now spends a considerable amount of time in the classic rock band Better Late Than Never playing at local pubs and clubs with a group of long-term friends.[9]
Essendon Football Club 1984/85 VFL premiers | |
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1984: Essendon 14.21 (105) defeated Hawthorn 12.9 (81), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground 1985: Essendon 26.14 (170) defeated Hawthorn 13.8 (92), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
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Coach: Sheedy |
Essendon Football Club · Team of the Century 1896–1997 | |
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Full-back |
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Half-back |
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Centre |
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Half-forward |
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Full-forward |
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Ruck |
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Interchange |
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Coach |
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Norm Smith Medal | |
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Italics denotes the player won the Norm Smith Medal in a losing team |
E. J. Whitten Medal winners | |
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Simpson Medal winners | |
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WAFL Grand Finals |
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Interstate Rep. Matches |
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Interstate Carnivals/Tours |
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Interstate Club Matches |
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Captains of the Essendon Football Club | |
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VFL/AFL |
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AFL Women's |
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Crichton Medal · Essendon Football Club best and fairest winners | |
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Essendon Football Club · leading goalkickers | |
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1983 All-Australian team | |
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Coach
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South Australia
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Victoria
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Western Australia
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1987 All-Australian team · Australian Football Championships | |
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South Australia |
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Victoria |
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Western Australia |
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← 1986 1988 → |
1988 All-Australian team · Adelaide Bicentennial Carnival | |
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New South Wales |
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Northern Territory |
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South Australia |
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Victoria |
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Western Australia |
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← 1987 1991 → |
Simon Madden in Victorian State of Origin teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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