MATTHEW Primus’ elevation to caretaker coach of Port Adelaide further adds to a growing storyline: the TAC – nursery to the champions.
During its brief, but storied history the TAC has provided so many of the AFL modern day champions and, now, by extension that includes AFL coaches.
Primus, a product of Geelong Falcons and member of the inaugural TAC Cup Team Of The Year, is the second TAC Cup graduate to coach at the game’s elite level.
Primus, a best and fairest and captain of the Power, joins Brad Scott, who played with Eastern Ranges, as the first two members of the TAC Cup/AFL coaches club.
When one scrolls through the current honour boards at every AFL club or, indeed, the AFL honour board there is a recurring theme – many of the greats cut their formative football teeth at the TAC Cup level.
Brad Johnson, drafted from the Western Jets following the 1993 season, now sits at No 8 on the all-time AFL games played table. And, that’s No 8 with a bullet.
Johnson will move past John Blackey (No 7) and Bernie Quinlan (No 6) before the 2010 season is over.
Not too far behind is another ex-Jet Dustin Fletcher, who played in the inaugural season of the TAC Cup. He, like Primus, was in the first TAC Cup Team Of The Year.
Fletcher has played 328 games, which places him No 22. He will move into the top 20 by the end of the season.
It’s not only games played where TAC Cup graduates can be found. There’s Brownlow Medallists, Coleman Medal winners, Rising Stars, club captains, premiership players and best and fairest winners.
Consider this extraordinary statistic: 47 former TAC Cup players have combined to win 66 club best and fairest, stretching over 14 AFL clubs.
Only Adelaide and Fremantle have not yet seen a TAC Cup graduate win a club best and fairest.
Essendon leads the way win seven ex TAC Cup players – Dustin Fletcher (Western Jets), Jason Johnson (Calder Cannons), Mark Johnson (Calder Cannons), Scott Lucas (Geelong Falcons), Adam McPhee (Dandenong Stingrays), David Hille (Dandenong Stingrays) and Jobe Watson (Sandringham Dragons) – winning best and fairest.
In fact, every Essendon best and fairest winner in the first decade of the 21st century, was drafted from the TAC Cup.
No fewer than 21 TAC graduates have made such an impact that they have been given the honour of captaining or co-captaining an AFL club.
Currently, there are 10 players from the TAC who hold the ultimate leadership role at an AFL club. Only four of the interstate clubs – Adelaide, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and West Coast Eagles don’t have a former TAC Cup player as a captain.
Three – Barry Hall, Chris Judd and Sam Mitchell – have savoured the most cherished moment as a footballer – captaining an AFL premiership team.
And, 68 premiership players can fondly recall the origins of their football at the development level came from the TAC Cup.
That includes 12 players from Geelong’s premiership team from last year. Interestingly, there was 13 ex TAC Cup players in their 2007 flag team.
As the intensity builds towards another final series, much interest will focus on which members of the 19th TAC Cup season will take the significant step in their football journey and add their name to the rich folklore of the TAC Cup.
Take a walk down TAC Cups memory lane and see how the following players have left an indelible imprint on our great game.
BROWNLOW MEDALLISTS
Adam Goodes (TAC Cup club North Ballarat Roosters/AFL club Sydney): 2003-06
Chris Judd (Sandringham Dragons/West Cost-Carlton): 2004
Jimmy Bartel (Geelong Falcons/Geelong): 2007
Gary Ablett Jnr (Geelong Falcons/Geelong): 2009
COLEMAN MEDALLISTS
Matthew Lloyd (TAC Cup club Western Jets/AFL club Essendon): 2000-01-03
Fraser Gehrig (Murray Bushrangers/St Kilda): 2004-05
Brendan Fevola (Dandenong Stingrays/Carlton): 2006-09
Jonathon Brown (Geelong Falcons/Brisbane): 2007
RISING STAR
Chris Scott (TAC Cup club Eastern Ranges/AFL club Brisbane): 1994
Adam Goodes (North Ballarat Rebels/Sydney): 1999
Sam Mitchell (Eastern Ranges/Hawthorn): 2003
Brett Deledio (Murray Bushrangers/Richmond): 2005
Joel Selwood (Bendigo Pioneers/Geelong): 2007
PREMIERSHIP CAPTAINS
Barry Hall (TAC Cup club Murray Bushrangers/Sydney Swans): 2005
Chris Judd (Sandringham Dragons/West Coast Eagles): 2006
Sam Mitchell (Eastern Ranges/Hawthorn): 2008
CLUB CAPTAINS
Jonathon Brown (TAC Cup club Geelong Falcons/AFL club Brisbane): 2007-10
Chris Johnson (Northern Knights/Brisbane): 2007
Luke Power (Oakleigh Chargers/Brisbane): 2007
Lance Whitnall (Northern Knights/Carlton): 2007
Chris Judd (Sandringham Dragons/West Coast Eagles): 2006-07
Chris Judd (Sandringham Dragons/Carlton): 2008-10
Nick Maxwell (Geelong Falcons/Collingwood): 2009-10
Matthew Lloyd (Western Jets/AFL club Essendon): 2006-09
Jobe Watson (Sandringham Dragons/Essendon): 2010
Steven King (Murray Bushrangers/Geelong): 2003-06
Cameron Ling (Geelong Falcons/Geelong): 2010
Sam Mitchell (Eastern Ranges/Hawthorn): 2010
Adam Simpson (Northern Knights/North Melbourne): 2004-08
Brent Harvey (Northern Knights/North Melbourne): 2009-10
Matthew Primus (Geelong Falcons/Port Adelaide): 2001-05
Kane Johnson (Eastern Ranges/Richmond): 2005-08
Chris Newman (Dandenong Stingrays/Richmond): 2009-10
Lenny Hayes (NSW/ACT Rams/St Kilda): 2004 & ‘07
Luke Ball (Sandringham Dragons/St Kilda): 2006-07
Barry Hall (Murray Bushrangers/Sydney):2006-07
Adam Goodes (North Ballarat Rebels/Sydney): 2009-10
Brad Johnson (Western Jets/Western Bulldogs): 2006-10
Last Modified on 18/08/2010 12:02